After a brief hospital stay, Juanita Vagnozzi passed away at INOVA Loudoun Hospital in
Lansdowne, VA. She was 91 years old.

She is survived by her daughter, Dianne Holecek (Tom),
grandchildren Victor Joseph and Natasha Rose of Ashburn, VA, sisters Dolly Caparros of
Weirton, WV, and Rose (Richard) Peters of North Topsail Island, NC, and many nieces and
nephews. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 26 years, Luigi Vagnozzi; her
father, Ramon Caparros; mother, Rosa Ampudia Caparros; brother, Raymond Caparros, and an
infant daughter.

Juanita was born and raised in Weirton, WV. She graduated from Weir High School in 1948 and
worked at Weirton Steel for 12 years. Juanita's parents were immigrants from Spain and she was
always proud of her Spanish heritage. She was fluent in Spanish and enjoyed cooking paella,
arroz con pollo, and making chorizo. She was an excellent cook and a great baker.
Juanita and Luigi were married in 1960 and settled initially in Arlington, VA, and later moved to
Temple Hills, MD, where they raised their only daughter, Dianne. Juanita was always interested
in arts and crafts, and she was quite talented. In 1976, she opened 'The Strawberry Patch' in
Crystal City, VA, a consignment gift shop where she sold handcrafted items made by local
artisans. She also made and sold her own creations, including personalized piggy banks and
beautiful ceramics. Many of the items she sold were custom orders to her many loyal customers.

After her husband died rather suddenly of leukemia in 1987, Juanita and Dianne moved to
Fairfax, VA. When Dianne and Tom were married in 2000, they lived in Ashburn, VA. Two
years later, Juanita found her own home, also in Ashburn. She knew that she wanted to be close
to Dianne and her family.

Juanita worked full-time until she was 81. She worked at the Robert E. Simon Children's Center
in Reston, VA for several years. Her last job was with Harris Teeter Grocery Stores as a cheese
specialist. She enjoyed every job she ever had, and many of her customers became friends.
One of her great joys was becoming a grandmother! She loved watching Victor and Natasha
grow up and she took pride in their many endeavors.

A Celebration of Life is being planned at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made
to the St. Jude Childrens' Research Hospital.