Dr. Juanita Eileen (Evans) Dailey

Juanita Eileen (Evans) Dailey, age 82, passed away peacefully on Monday, June 6, 2022, surrounded by her daughters at The Homestead Assisted Living Facility in Bellefontaine, Ohio.  She was born February 18, 1940, in Gallipolis, Ohio, to the late H. Claude Evans and Beatrice (Fowler) Evans.  She had one sister, Marlene Houck, who preceded her in death. Surviving are two daughters Mandy Goble (Robert), Bellefontaine, Ohio, and Jane Dailey, Parkersburg, W.Va.; and her brother, Dean Evans, Gallipolis. Also surviving are two grandchildren Eric (Alexis) Goble, Sterling, Va., and Michelle Goble (Steve Dowdell, fiancé), Vincentia, Australia; and two great grandchildren, Amelia and Clara Goble.

Juanita graduated from Gallia Academy High School in 1958. She was a longtime professor at University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College where she was a 32-year member of the URG/RGCC Faculty.  She was Professor of Speech Communication and Journalism and earned accreditation in Public Relations (APR). She had received tenure in 1975, retired from URG in 2008, and was awarded Faculty Emeritus status at that time.

Juanita began teaching full time at Rio Grande in 1974 and upgraded the Speech Department to become the Communication Department. Shortly after, the department of Journalism was incorporated into the Communication Department. Prior to that, she taught part time at Rio Grande in the late 1960s while she concurrently earned a Masters' Degree from Ohio University in Speech in 1974. At that time, Juanita was hired full time at Rio Grande and went on to earn an additional Master's degree in Journalism from Marshall University. Later, she went back to school where she earned a Ph.D. from Ohio University in 1994. Additionally, Juanita wrote a book that documented The Bevo Francis story. That story was later produced by ESPN.

To her colleagues, friends and students, she was known as Nita, a valued mentor and friend. Her students saw her as intuitive, supportive of their achievements, and someone who opened their eyes to the world. To her family, she was Mom and Grammy, someone who loved unconditionally and could always be counted on to help.  She will be missed.

A private funeral service will be held for family and close friends at 1 p.m., Saturday, June 11, 2022 , at Waugh-Halley-Wood Funeral Home with Pastor Marc Sarrett officiating. Burial will follow in Mound Hill Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home on Saturday from 11 – 12 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made in Memory of Dr. Juanita Dailey to The Homestead at Logan Acres Community Foundation, 2739 County Road 91, Bellefontaine, Ohio 43311 or The Rio Grande University Memorial Fund, PO Box 500 Rio Grande, OH. 45674.  An online guest registry is available at Waugh-Halley-Wood.com.