Juanita Rita (Michaud) Macara, retired nurse, World War II veteran, wife of the late Nobert N. Macara, mother of five, and grandmother of two, died peacefully at Cape Cod Hospital on May 28, 2021. She was 97.
She enjoyed good health until her later years, when she suffered, yet accepted, greatly diminished eyesight and hearing with a remarkable lack of resentment or self-pity. Juanita was a devoted Catholic and her faith, no doubt, helped her through her difficulties and allowed her to keep her upbeat, sweet, and charming personality, even at the end of her long life.
Juanita was born on Sept. 5, 1923 and raised in the small town of Eagle Lake, Maine, not far from the Canadian border. The public school of Eagle Lake was run by Catholic nuns and almost everyone in this close-knit town spoke French and English. The nuns were known to have skated on the lake with their students.
Juanita’s parents, Ernest and Imelda Michaud, owned a general store in town that included the town’s post office. The Michauds and their five children, Juanita, Norman, Jackie, Richard, and Judy, all lived upstairs. Ernest sold insurance, owned an active maple sugar camp, and maintained a few lakeside cottages that were rented to vacationers.
During and following World War II, Juanita, as a young Navy Nurse Lieutenant, was in charge of a ward at Chelsea Naval Hospital, caring for military personnel. It was there she met the Navy serviceman patient Nobert Macara, who would become her husband. She was welcomed warmly into the Macara family and soon became a valued member of the Provincetown community. Nobert’s sisters were generous with their knowledge of Portuguese recipes and local traditions, and accepted her as one of their own. She and Nobert had five children, all raised in Provincetown.
Her nurse training had prepared her for a life of caring for others. She worked for some years at the Cape End Manor in its original location at the Grace Gouveia Building on Alden Street. When the position of nurse for the Provincetown Schools became available, Juanita was happy to serve again. Many people remember her best as their school nurse. Others remember her as a volunteer for the P.T.A., Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, and Boy Scouts, to name only a few.
She was a dedicated member of the Nautilus Club, a local philanthropic women’s group. She played piano, was an avid tennis fan and player, playing well into her 80s. Respected in the community and universally liked for her generosity, warmth, and charm, she will be missed by all who knew her.
Juanita is survived by four of her five children: Claire Macara, Peter Macara, Richard Macara, and Jacques (Jack) Macara, now married to Laura Shabott. Jill (Lambrou) Macara and Jack had provided Juanita with her two grandchildren, now adults: Heather (Macara) Pearson, married to Tim Pearson, and Derek Macara. Juanita’s son Dean N. Macara died in 2018, leaving his devoted partner of 35 years, (William) Court Prentice of Vero Beach, Fla. Juanita is also survived by one sister, Judy (Michaud) Stentaford, of Eagle Lake, Maine. Many nieces, nephews, and friends will remember Juanita fondly.
Calling hours were held June 3 at Gately Funeral Home, Provincetown. A Funeral Mass was celebrated on June 4 at St. Peter the Apostle Church. Burial was in St. Peter’s Cemetery.
To share a memory or leave an online condolence for the family, visit gatelyfuneralservice.com.
