Juanita Lillian Pressley Simmons Rand

Juanita Lillian Pressley Simmons Rand, affectionately known throughout her life as Nita L. Rand, Nita Pressley Rand, and “Noodle” Pressley, of Sebring, Florida, passed away peacefully and with dignity on August 7, 2026, at the age of 87, surrounded by her family while receiving hospice care at Good Samaritan Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Nita was born on July 16, 1939, in Miami-Dade County, Florida, to Audrey Lucille Cotton Pressley, an elementary school teacher at Oak Grove Elementary School, and William Wayland Pressley, owner of Pioneer Garage. She grew up in the Greater Miami and North Miami area alongside her sister, Martha Pressley Schwartz Birch, and brother, William Edward Pressley.

Her South Florida roots remained an important part of her identity throughout her life. She attended Miami Senior High School class of 1956 and later continued her education while raising a family. She earned an Associate of Arts degree from Miami-Dade Junior College in 1970 and went on to the University of South Florida, where she graduated with honors in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts from the College of Arts & Letters, completing a double major in Mass Communications and Theatre. She was also a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society.

Nita had an independent spirit, an inquisitive mind, and a remarkable zest for life. Her interests were many, and when something fascinated her, she wanted to learn everything she could about it.

One of her earliest and most enduring loves was horses. As a young woman, Nita worked with Thoroughbred racehorses as a hot walker, beginning her days at the racetrack in the early morning hours. It was through the world of horse racing that she met Charles Ray Simmons, a WW II Navy veteran and racehorse trainer who became her husband. Horses remained part of her heart throughout her life. Among the horses remembered by the family are Smoky, Keep Quiet, and Ginger Star. Charles Ray always said that Nita also enjoyed a good mint julep at the races.

She later married Herbert Rand, a WWII Navy veteran and pharmacist. Together, the chapters of her life brought experiences, adventures, challenges, and a family she loved deeply.

Nita was the mother of three children: Lillian Dawn Simmons Rand Goodson, Andrew Edward Simmons Rand, and Adam Eli Rand. Her children were at the center of her life, and one of the greatest gifts she gave them was exposure to the enormous variety of things she herself loved. She wanted them to experience the world—not merely read about it.

Summers often meant loading up the car and setting out on an adventure. Family trips took them from Florida through Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky and Illinois, to New York and Washington, D.C., visiting distant cousins, family burial grounds, historic sites, parks, and whatever interesting place might appear along the way. Her travels eventually took her farther afield, including San Francisco, New York, and England.

She loved history and genealogy and took special pleasure in tracing family roots, visiting cemeteries and burial plots, finding distant relatives, and discovering the stories of generations who came before her. A trip rarely had to follow the shortest route when there was something historic or interesting to see along the way.

Nita also dedicated many years to public service in law enforcement, ultimately retiring as a civilian supervisor. Her career included service with the Miami-Dade Police Department Records Bureau and in Volusia County. She took great pride in her work and received multiple commendations and awards during her career.

Her curiosity extended far beyond her professional life. Nita was an avid reader and writer, enjoyed photography, history, genealogy, coin collecting, fishing, camping, and exploring nature. She loved Key Biscayne, Crandon Park, Florida’s state parks, and family travels along the East Coast. She enjoyed the Serpentarium and had an enduring fascination with wildlife and the natural world.

She had a true green thumb and loved gardening. Plants seemed to thrive under her care.

And then there were the animals.

Nita had a tremendous heart for animals and was known for rescuing critters that needed a home or a helping hand. Over a lifetime, there were simply too many beloved animals to name, but among the dogs fondly remembered are Concita, Mickey, Maggie, Winky, and Moose, Ho-Tai, Bruce, and Rover, along with her cherished horses Smoky, Keep Quiet, and Ginger Star. Whether it had four legs, feathers, scales, or simply needed rescuing, there was a good chance Nita would make room for it.

She enjoyed church and gospel choirs, as well as the rock-and-roll music of the 1950s, ’60s, and ‘70s. She loved Southern cooking and family traditions, including serving black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day for good luck.

She also had a fondness for Volkswagens, another small detail that family and friends will remember as simply and unmistakably Nita.

Above all, Nita lived with curiosity. She read, wrote, traveled, planted, explored, researched, rescued, collected, learned, and shared. She taught her children that the world was worth seeing, history was worth remembering, animals were worth protecting, and there was almost always something interesting waiting around the next corner.

Nita is survived by her three children, Lillian Dawn Simmons Rand Goodson, Andrew Edward Simmons Rand, and Adam Eli Rand; and her grandchildren, Andrew Goodson, Natalie Goodson, Madison Rand, Ryan Rand, Danielle Rand, and Chris Quito.

She was preceded in death by her husbands, Charles Ray Simmons and Herbert Rand; her parents, Audrey Lucille Cotton Pressley and William Wayland Pressley; her sister, Martha Pressley Schwartz Birch; and her brother, William Edward Pressley.

A celebration of Nita’s life will be announced at a later date.

For those who knew her, Nita leaves behind far more than the record of an 87-year life. She leaves the stories she told, the places she took her family, the history she preserved, the animals she loved, the things she taught, and countless memories gathered over a lifetime lived with independence, curiosity, and a genuine zest for life.

She will be deeply missed and forever loved. Her love, her stories, and the memories she gave her family will remain in their hearts always.