LAFAYETTE, La. – A memorial service for Sarah Juanita Reynolds Novick will be held April 23, at 1 p.m. at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church.

    Ms. Novick died peacefully on Wednesday, April 6, 2011, at 10:55 a.m., at her daughter’s home in Lafayette, surrounded by family. Known to some as “Memere,” “Ms. Mere” or “Aunt Nita,” Ms. Novick was a loving sister, daughter, mother, grandmother, aunt, great-aunt, great-grandmother and friend.

    Professionally, she was a nurse anaesthetist (CRNA) in New Orleans for 45 years, including working the weekend of Hurricane Katrina at the age of 74. Her first loves were medicine and knowledge. Thus, she has donated her body to Tulane Medical School so that others may learn more about scleroderma.

    Ms. Novick enjoyed her family, reading, crossword puzzles, music, singing, Scrabble, dancing, bowling, attending and supporting the performing arts, Saints’ football and all three of The Mannings and cooking for the youth group at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Metairie. She especially loved everything about her hometown of New Orleans, home of the WhoDat Nation, where she was a proud tour guide to anyone passing through. She will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her.

    Survivors are her daughters, Anna Marie “Nena” Novick of Lafayette and son-in-law, Ted Knight, of Neptune Beach, Fla., and Patty Novick Leger and her husband, Darrel, of Lafayette; two granddaughters, Ana Monique Leger and her partner, Amiee Hoffpauir, of Church Point, and Marcelle Leger Courtois and her husband, Coy Courtois, and their daughter, Izabelle Amie, of New Orleans; two brothers, Raybourn Reynolds and his wife, Brenda, of Springfield and Jessie Reynolds of Meridian, Miss., along with numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.

    She was preceded in death by her parents, Lonnie Clyde and Lilly Ruth Reynolds; and infant sister, Nancy of Meridian.    

    The family would like to extend a special thank-you to the staff of Hospice of Acadiana – especially to Nita’s nurse, Jo Doucet, and to Tawana Johnson – for giving their loving care to Juanita and all of us during this difficult time.

    With a grateful heart, we wish to also thank Juanita’s niece, Faith Ann Reynolds for her immeasurable love and care to her Aunt Nita and the family.

    The family requests that donations be made to St. Barnabas Episcopal Church at 400 Camellia Boulevard, Lafayette, LA., 70503; The Academy of the Sacred Heart in Grand Coteau – www.ashcoteau.org – at P.O. Box 310, Grand Coteau, LA 70541; or Hospice of Acadiana – www.hospiceacadiana.com – at 2600 Johnston St., Lafayette, LA 70503.