Community leader and educator Juanita De Vaughn (Photo – Felita Kealing)
“Juanita DeVaughn is a gift that keeps giving,” says Altadena Baptist Church Associate Pastor George Van Alstine, and this month, the community will have a chance to celebrate that gift in a big way. Juanita Young DeVaughn, a beloved educator, civil rights advocate, and community pillar, will turn 100 on July 22.
By News Desk
Born in Boligee, Alabama, DeVaughn spent the first half of her life laying the foundation for what would become a legacy of service and leadership. After attending public schools, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics from Alabama A&M. Her early career included teaching at the Industrial School for Girls and Boys in Alabama, working as a dietician at Talladega College, and serving as a nutritionist for the Head Start program in Birmingham.
It was in Birmingham that DeVaughn became deeply involved in the Civil Rights Movement, attending meetings with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Following the tragic 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church, she quietly used her resources—serving 47 schools as a district nutritionist—to help provide the funeral repast meal for the families of the four little girls who lost their lives.
After marrying Paul DeVaughn in 1950, the couple moved to Altadena in 1967. Juanita continued her commitment to education and advocacy, teaching at Charles Eliot Junior High School and later at John Muir High School in Pasadena, where she served until her retirement. In 2018, she was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame.
Retirement did not slow DeVaughn down. She remained active through her church, voter registration initiatives, and local schools. She founded and chaired John Muir High School’s annual campus beautification day, and served on the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Committee. A lifelong member of the NAACP, she also chaired the ACT-SO program and was active in the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Greater Pasadena.
Her decades of service have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Delta Sigma Theta Mother of the Year, YWCA Century Volunteer of the Year, NAACP Pioneering Woman of Altadena, and the City of Pasadena’s Human Relations Commission’s Harry Sheldon Award. She also served as Grand Marshal of the Altadena/Pasadena Black History Parade.
Today, Juanita DeVaughn lives in Altadena with her daughter Paula. Her son Robert is married to Rev. Connie Larson DeVaughn, Pastor of Altadena Baptist Church, where Juanita has been a devoted member for over 50 years. Her legacy continues through her two granddaughters, Lauren and Alena, both accomplished healthcare professionals.
As she approaches her centennial birthday, Juanita DeVaughn remains a shining example of dedication, dignity, and determination, a true gift to the Altadena/Pasadena community.
Mrs. DeVaughn was my sewing teacher at Eliot way back in the 1970s. That truly a blessing to reach the age of 100.