Juanita B. “Nita” Holt, 94, of Bainbridge, GA, passed away Saturday, January 22, 2022.

The funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 25, 2022, at First United Methodist Church with Rev. Melissa Traver and Rev. Nolan Lovering officiating. A private interment will be held at Roselawn Memory Gardens.

The family will receive friends immediately following the service. Online visitors may sign the guest register at www.bryantfuneralga.com. Memorial donations may be made to First United Methodist Church, PO Box 541, Bainbridge, GA 39818.

Daisy Juanita Bell was born January 1, 1928, in Lake City, FL, the daughter of Charles & Bessie Brookshire Bell. She was a graduate of Albany High School. She married William Pierce “Bill” Holt in 1948. In the early years, Nita worked with a produce broker while Bill finished school at Georgia Tech. Later she served as a school secretary at John-Johnson Elementary, Elcan-King Elementary, and Bainbridge High School. “Miss Nita” is fondly remembered for her years as a preschool teacher at Wester’s Kiddie Kollege. She was an active member of First United Methodist Church.

Faith, family, children and food were the ordered priorities for Nita, affectionately known as NeeNee. Children were definitely her passion as she spent her life serving them in one capacity or another. Sometimes it was teaching; other times it was “policing”. She was organized and meticulous…always dressed to the nines before she had coffee. There was always a bite to eat on the table and a cake in the freezer just in case. Lane cake, yeast rolls, lady fingers and peanut brittle were made and delivered to family & friends for decades. Nita loved life and loved pushing the limits. When the children were grown and gone, she signed up for tap dancing lessons. She rode her bicycle to the YMCA when she was 80 years old for her regular workouts and spent hours swimming in her pool. Nita was proud of Bill’s craftmanship and bragged to everyone that he built all their furniture. Christmas was Nita’s favorite time of year, so much so she left the tree up to enjoy every single day. “They said….” Nita was one-of-a-kind.

Survivors include her children, Timothy L. Holt (Jane) of Athens, GA, Michael P. Holt (Deborah) of Bainbridge, William David Holt (Belinda) of Panama City, FL, Missy Holt Strickland of Bainbridge, and Melanie H. Lovering (David) also of Bainbridge; her grandchildren, Jason & Lydia, Ashley & Charlie, Michael & Shellie, Mary Olivia & Turner, Bill & Kelly, Allison & Will, Mary Culver & Kevin, Caroline & Taylor, Zachary, and Nolan & Anne Marie; her fifteen great-grandchildren; and a host of extended family. In addition to her parents, Nita was preceded in death by her husband, Bill Holt; and her siblings, Dallas Bell, Charles H. Bell, Gertrude B. Persensky, Catherine Gore, Josephine Stallings, and Norman Bell.