Juanita Joyce Kotyuk Barras' Obituary
Juanita Joyce Barras, 79, of Covington, Louisiana began her eternal life on August 3, 2021 surrounded by family after a short battle with cancer.
She embraced the adventure of life, beginning as a child during WWII in St. Joseph, Michigan where she was born and raised among the farms and fruit trees. She loved the shade of a cherry tree and the serenity and beauty of big “Yankee” barns. Birds fascinated her. Naturally curious and caring, she learned, practiced and taught nursing for 33 years, graduating from Holy Cross College in South Bend, Indiana and beginning her nursing career as an Air Force Officer where she met her husband Ralph, whom she lovingly referred to as a crazy Cajun from Louisiana. They eventually settled there among the sugar cane fields and raised a family, where Joyce learned to endure sweltering heat and came to embrace the “joie de vivre” of the Cajun culture. A self-taught artist and painter, she often captured nature scenes in Louisiana, along with the icons and symbols of the Cajun culture. She enjoyed needlecraft, especially crotchet and cross-stitch. Her family enjoys her afghans to this day, and every grandchild has a framed cross-stitch of their date and weight at birth.
Blue eyes were her favorite. A cradle Catholic, she bore her crosses in life in union with Jesus’ suffering, drawing strength from the Sacraments. Traveling made her feel most alive. She stood on the streets of Budapest, Hungary with her mother and daughter as they traced their family roots. She cradled a newborn grandchild in West Germany. She walked on beaches with her husband in Hawaii, Australia and Normandy, and in Biloxi where they first met. With an artist’s eye, she soaked in the beauty of Paris and the Notre Dame. She loved the wonders of the country she served, from its small picturesque towns to the grandeur of its national parks. She visited all 50 states, many by RV.
She captured the beautiful landscapes she saw in her art. They were her heaven on earth.The canvas of her own life had no frame or border. It was colorful and vibrant, a mix of careful and carefree strokes. The paint has dried now, leaving us a vivid portrait of a life given to those who remain here for now: her husband of 56 years, Ralph J. Barras, Sr., sister Beth Renken (Rich), son Ralph Barras, Jr. (Lisa) and grandsons Phillip (Eileen), Kyle (Jill) and John Tyler; daughter Michelle Chautin (Joe) and granddaughters Courtney (Drew), Rebecca (Cody) and Gabby; daughter Christina Barras (Piper, Cooper); and five great-grandchildren (Palmer, Ellis, Reese, Calvin and Quinn).
Due to COVID-19, social distancing is encouraged and masks are required to attend services.
Relatives and friends are invited to the Funeral Mass at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 501 Holy Trinity Drive, Covington, Louisiana on Monday, August 9, 2021 at 11:00 AM with visitation from 10:00 AM until Mass time. Interment will follow service at 12:30 PM at Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, 34888 Grantham College Road, Slidell, Louisiana. Please Share a Memory on the Tribute Wall at www.ejfieldingfh.com.
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