Juanita "Nita" Worley Lea, 94, of Jacksonville Florida passed away on October 18, 2021. Born on November 19, 1926 in Palatka FL, Nita was the only child of the late Sophie Mae Cubbedge and William H. Worley. Nita and her mother moved to Jacksonville where she graduated from Andrew Jackson High School; she attended the historic St. Lukes hospital nursing program in downtown Jacksonville and served in the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps from 1944-1947. She married her husband Ernest Lea Sr. in 1946 and continued her nursing profession then later received her B.S. in nursing from University of North Florida in 1979. She worked as an esteemed operating room nurse at St. Lukes and as an accomplished nursing instructor at Florida Junior College of Jacksonville where she played an instrumental role in the teaching program. Nita and Ernest raised a loving family which expanded over the years; they enjoyed fifty-two years of togetherness before his passing in 1998. Nita lived a lifetime of caring devotion to her family, her profession, and her greater community.Nita was known by all for her warmth, kindness, patience, and her zest for life. She was a friend and mother-figure to everyone; Nita never shied away from a stranger or good conversation. She rarely sat still and enjoyed numerous hobbies such as daily swimming, gardening, bird watching, and football games. She was also an active member of the Morocco Temple Daughters of the Nile and her Methodist church community. Nita relished spending precious time with her grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren. She delighted in watching her legacy continue on in younger generations. Her spirit of enthusiasm and joy will be treasured by those who knew her. Nita herself, though, was the greatest living treasure.Nita is preceded in death by her parents Sophie Mae Cubbedge and William H. Worley; stepmother Clara Worley, beloved aunt Ada Vause, and husband Ernest Lea Sr. She is survived by son Ernest Jr. (Carmel); daughter Paula Carter (Bobby); and son Greg Sr. (Stephanie) as well as nine grandchildren and twenty great-grandchildren.Visitation will be held on Friday October 22, 2021 from 2-3pm with chapel service beginning at 3pm. George H. Hewell and Son Funeral Home 4747 N. Main St. Jacksonville, FL 32206. Private interment to follow at Evergreen Cemetery.In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Shriners Hospital for Children or Community Hospice & Palliative of Northeast Florida..Funeral ServiceFriday, October 22, 20213:00 PM George H. Hewell and Son Funeral Home (Northside)4747 Main StreetJacksonville, FL 322064140 University Blvd S Jacksonville, FL 32216 f: 904-739-81594747 Main St N Jacksonville, FL 32206 f: 904-353-0763