Juanita Gonsalves Martin

Juanita Gonsalves Martin, age 89, of 100 Sturtevant Street, Norwich CT, fell asleep in death Sunday, April 5, 2026, peacefully at home.

She was born January 17, 1937, in Providence RI, the seventh child, daughter of the late Virginia (Williams) and Antonio Gonsalves Penha. On November 19, 1960, she married her sweetheart, Anthony D. Martin, who predeceased her in 2015. At that time, they had been married for about 55 years.

  Juanita is survived by her sister Jeannette (Gonsalves) Cardoza, brother David Gonsalves Penha, daughter Tina Martin, son Anthony D Martin, Jr and his wife Rebecca (Chabotte) Martin, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was predeceased by her sisters Edelia (Gonsalves) Perry, and Angelina (Gonsalves) Gomez, and her brothers, Joao, Everett, and Daniel Penha.

  Juanita loved music, dancing, and reading mystery novels, but most of all, she loved sharing the truth about Jehovah God. She faithfully attended weekly meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses remotely via Zoom.

  In the early 1950s, Juanita attended Adelphi School of Business, where she earned a Certificate in the Business Course. She worked for Eugene Pleshette, father of actress Suzanne Pleshette, at the Paramount Theater in Brooklyn NY, where she met several music stars such as Alan Freed and Ricky Nelson, to name a few. In the late 1950s, she moved to Norwich CT, where she worked in the Nursing Department at the Norwich State Hospital (1958-1960 and 1966-1994) until her retirement in 1994.

  A graveside service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, April 10, 2026, at the Maplewood Cemetery in Norwich CT.

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