Juanita “Nita” Delphia Arey – beloved wife, mother, aunt, grandma, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother – joined the heavenly choir on Aug. 27, 2026, in Wichita Falls, TX, at the age of 102.

Nita’s “Celebration of Life” will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at Lamar Baptist Church. Officiants will be Randy Osborn, her Legacy Pastor of First Baptist Church, Wichita Falls, and Kevin Hoggard, her former music minister at Lamar Baptist Church. Interment will follow at 3:00 p.m. at Crestview Memorial Park under the direction of Lunn's Colonial Funeral Home.The family will welcome visitors from 6:00-7:00 p.m. on Friday, September 4, 2026, at Lunn’s Funeral Home.

Nita was born on June 16, 1924, in Hale Center, Texas, to Charles “Charlie” Edward McCalip and Mary Elizabeth (Abshier) McCalip. Her older sister Dorothy Vivian always said, “Nita was born with her mouth open, and it has been open ever since.” Soon after her birth, Nita and her family returned to Tage, just north of Bowie, where both of her parents’ families farmed and ginned cotton. Eventually, the family moved just over the Red River to Terral, OK, as three younger brothers were added to the family – Cecil Edward Grant McCalip, Billy Bernill McCalip, and Charles “Joe” Melton McCalip. Nita graduated from Union Valley School (between Terral and Ryan, OK) in 1942.

As a young woman, Nita moved to Wichita Falls and began attending Lamar Avenue Baptist Church at the corner of 4th and Lamar. She soon accepted Jesus’s gift of salvation and became an extremely active church member and choir soprano. She may have been small in stature, but she could certainly hit those high notes.

On October 27, 1945, Nita married Stanley Herbert Arey, a young airman from Maine stationed at Sheppard AFB, beginning a marriage that would span over fifty years and a lifetime of shared memories. Together, they had two sons, Billy Wayne Arey in 1949 and Richard Earl Arey in 1953. Stan and Nita also spiritually adopted Charlene Duncan as a daughter in 1973.

In addition to serving as a wife, mother, and homemaker, Nita was a bookkeeper in the Sears credit department downtown for 32 years.

Nita’s devotion to her church continued for almost 75 years as Lamar Baptist Church moved to 11th and Harrison. She served her Lord by leading Sunday School classes for singles, married young adults, and eventually senior adults. She was a lifelong choir member and soloist, led various church committees, taught Women’s Missionary Union (WMU), directed the preschool choir, served as a VBS volunteer, and participated in a Mexico mission trip for many years. She also led the church’s 100th Anniversary Celebration Committee in 2012. In her final years, Nita was a member of First Baptist Church, Lakeside City, and then First Baptist Church, Wichita Falls, where she continued serving her Lord by leading music for her Legacy Life Group and by being a prayer warrior for all who welcomed her prayers.

After living such a long life of service, Nita certainly had a “cloud of witnesses” welcoming her to her heavenly home, including her parents, husband, three of her four siblings, and three of their spouses.

Survivors include her three children – Billy Wayne Arey of Sweetwater, Richard Arey (Vickie) of Wichita Falls, and Charlene Duncan (Tommy) of Augusta, KS; her brother Joe McCalip of Wichita Falls; sister-in-law Willa McCalip of Wichita Falls; her grandchildren – Seth Arey and Veronica Ard (Darrin), all of Wichita Falls, Scott Duncan (Stacey) of Augusta, KS, Shannon Masterson (Jeff) of Andover, KS, and Shane Duncan (Linda) of Chanute, KS; great-grandchildren Chloe Arey, Parker Ard, Taylor Cooper (Logan), J.J. Masterson (Rylee), Levi Masterson, Austin Duncan, Jordan Duncan, & Jalen Duncan; great-great-grandchildren Jolie, Stetson, & Jace Cooper and Hunter Masterson; many nieces & nephews; and many extended family members and friends.

Pallbearers will be all her grandsons.

Nita loved fresh flowers, but memorials in her name may also be made to Hospice of Wichita Falls or the First Baptist Church, Wichita Falls, NEXT Capital Campaign.