Juanita (Stewart) Delbridge

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Mrs. Juanita Delbridge.  A Celebration of Life will be held on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, at 1:00PM at Unity Missionary Baptist Church located at 3280 Millerfield Road, Macon, Georgia 31211.  Reverend Edward Dawson will serve as the Eulogist. 

Juanita Stewart Delbridge was born on June 28, 1959, in Dawson, Georgia, to the late John Henry, Sr. and Carrie Bell Stewart. In 1975, her family relocated to Macon, Georgia, where she attended Northeast High School and participated in a number of civic groups and programs, including JROTC, before graduating as part of the Class of 1977.

After high school, Juanita enrolled at Macon Junior College and later graduated from Georgia College with a degree in Business Administration. Shortly after starting her career at Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation, she met her now husband of 38 years, John Delbridge of Emporia, Virginia. While working in manufacturing together, they also found success in real estate and entrepreneurship as a passion project before relocating to Central Virginia in 1996. There, Juanita further advanced her production management career at Altria Group, Inc. before stepping away to become a stay-at-home mom in 2001. For her, that role rarely actually meant staying at home. She lent her time and talents to her church, Tabernacle Baptist Church in Petersburg, Virginia, and supported many youth groups and civic clubs, including the Thomas Dale High School Theatre Boosters. She was also known as a “carpool mom,” helping kids get to school and providing afterschool rides home for many young people through the years.

Juanita had an uncanny ability to reinvent herself. Through her daughter, she fell in love with New York City, and in 2008, became a part-time resident there and a regular at many Manhattan establishments. She particularly loved the city’s Christmas decorations and found joy in introducing her husband to unique attractions. A social butterfly, she made friends wherever her adventures took her and was beloved through the years by the staff at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. 

Juanita was also a loving and willing caregiver, stepping up to support her family - both immediate and extended - and friends in times of need after returning to Macon in recent years. While battling cancer, she also made it a point to be a beacon of hope for others newly diagnosed with the disease, serving as a living testimony of God’s grace.

The Lord called Juanita home on Monday, January 27, 2025. She was proceeded in death by her parents, John Henry Stewart, Sr. and Carrie Bell Stewart, two sisters, Elmira Nelson-Bush and Ella Marie Nelson, and two brothers, John Henry Stewart, Jr., and Richard Stewart. 

Mrs. Delbridge leaves to cherish her loving memories: husband, John R. Delbridge Jr.; daughter, Whitney (Jonathan) Nichels; sister, Cora Nelson-Clark; Deacon Dr. Larry (Betty) Stewart other relatives, and friends.  Public viewing will be held on Monday, February 3, 2025, from 5:00PM until 8:00PM at the Funeral Home located 2550 Shurling Drive, Macon, Georgia 31211. Richard R. Robinson Funeral Home & Cremation Services has charge of the arrangements.

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