Wanita Kathleen Bohay

Wanita "Nita" Bohay lived a life centered on family, creativity, and making the people she loved feel cherished, celebrated, and remembered. Through thoughtfully written birthday cards, carefully chosen photographs, carefully crafted rhymes, and treasured family stories, she preserved memories that will continue to be shared for generations. 

For many years, Nita built a successful career in banking, where her dedication and hard work led her to become a bank manager. After Hawthorne Savings closed, she continued her career in accounting before later becoming the devoted caregiver to her youngest daughter during one of the most challenging chapters of their lives. 

Nita shared a wonderful life with her husband, Rick, creating countless memories through family vacations and adventures. Whether traveling with Rick and their daughters, taking trips with her mother, or exploring new places alongside her brother Bobby and his wife Peggy—who was not only her sister-in-law but also her lifelong best friend—she believed some of life's greatest treasures were the memories made together. 

Among family and friends, Nita became known for the extraordinary birthday cards she lovingly created. They were never simply birthday cards. She often spent days, sometimes nearly a week, creating each one. Every photograph was carefully chosen, every memory lovingly revisited, every story thoughtfully remembered, and every rhyme polished until it was just right. Each card became a one-of-a-kind keepsake, created from the heart to celebrate one special person. Family eagerly looked forward to birthdays, knowing that somewhere inside the envelope would be a collage of treasured photographs, heartfelt memories, laughter, and rhymes written especially for them. 

One of Nita's favorite family traditions was the annual Christmas Clues Game. A tradition first started by her sister Darlene was lovingly carried on by Nita for many years. Family members eagerly followed clever rhyming clues from room to room, searching for the next surprise while laughter filled the house long before the presents were opened. In later years, the tradition was lovingly carried on by her youngest daughter, who wrote the clues for the family while Nita always insisted on writing the clues just for her. It was one tradition they never stopped sharing. 

After Rick's passing, Nita and her youngest daughter became each other's anchors, finding strength in one another through nearly twenty years of life's joys and challenges. During one of the most difficult chapters of their lives, they lovingly cared for one another, each giving the other the strength to keep moving forward. 

Nita was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Rick; her mother; her brother, Bobby; her sisters, Wanda and Darlene; and her beloved sister-in-law and lifelong best friend, Peggy. 

She is survived by her daughters, Anita (Peppy), Kim, and Nicole; her grandchildren, John, Felis, Jake, Brittany, and Nolen; her great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, extended family members, and dear friends. 

Nita had an extraordinary gift for making people feel cherished, celebrated, and remembered. She spent her life giving pieces of her heart away. Sometimes they came through family vacations, sometimes through the Christmas Clues Game, but most often they came through the birthday cards she so lovingly created. The keepsakes she left behind are more than photographs, memories, and rhyme—they are lasting reminders of the love she gave so freely. That love will continue to live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved her.