Juanita R. Penkala, 101, of Hamilton, passed away on January 2, 2024 at Capital Health – Hopewell, Pennington, NJ.

Born and raised in Paragould, Arkansas, she was an excellent student, graduating as valedictorian in 1940, and earned a scholarship to college and graduated with a degree from business school. Juanita worked at several jobs after business school including a uniform manufacturer and a munitions factory during WWII. She married her husband US Air Force Sgt. Joseph E. Penkala in 1943 and travelled with him to Okinawa, Washington, DC, Michigan, Alaska, Nebraska, and Maine. After he was discharged, they settled in Hamilton, NJ in 1966. She was a faithful parishioner of St. Raphael’s Holy Angels Parish, Hamilton, NJ, a member of the parish Rosary Altar Society, was active with the League of Women Voters, was an accomplished tennis player and, overall, a charitable and benevolent woman.

Daughter of the late Charlie and Lizzy McBride Robinson and wife for 67 years of the late Joseph E. Penkala, she is survived by her son Joseph Penkala, and wife Sara Bustos Lopez, her son James Penkala and wife Pamela, her daughter Jane Kuhn and husband Drew, her beloved grandchildren Theresa Kuhn, Arianna Kuhn, Olivia Kuhn, Jayden Kuhn, Ian Penkala and wife Kaitlin Best, and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at 10:30 AM at St. Raphael’s Church, 3500 S. Broad St., Hamilton, NJ.

Interment will follow at Brig. Gen. Wm. C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 350 Province Line Rd., Wrightstown, NJ.

Relatives and friends may visit on Wednesday from 9 to 10 AM at Kingston & Kemp Funeral Home, 260 White Horse Ave., Hamilton, NJ (www.KingstonandKemp.com).

Due to cemetery restrictions prohibiting flowers, please make a memorial contribution to Disabled American Veterans at dav.org or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at stjude.org.