Floretta Jane Pemberton, nee Nunley, died at 91 years old at Houston Memorial Hospital in Clear Lake, Texas on Monday, December 12, 2022. Floretta was born on December 5, 1931, to Golden Nunley and Ethel Louise Hunt Nunley in Huntington, West Virginia. After her father’s death in 1937 during the Great Ohio River Flood, Floretta and her siblings Betty and Frank went to live with their Grandmother Louisa Jane Hunt, who owned a neighborhood grocery store. Floretta worked in the store at a young age helping her grandmother. Floretta did well in school, even skipping the second grade. Floretta attended Huntington East High School with her best friend JoAnn Price. JoAnn encouraged Floretta to begin writing to her cousin, Stanley Pemberton who was in the Army Air Corps stationed in Italy. When Stanley returned to the States, they began dating. They were married on August 30, 1948. They began their married life in Fort Worth Texas and spent the next 20 years traveling the world to places such as England and Hawaii.
After Stanley’s retirement from the Air Force, they moved to Rockville Maryland for 13 years raising their 3 children, William Dale, Mary Louise and James Andrew. They finally settled in Ponte Vedra Beach Florida in 1979. During their 40 years in Ponte Vedra Beach, Floretta spent 10 years working at Rawlings Elementary school assisting the teachers. Floretta always felt that the best years of her life were in Ponta Vedra Beach.
She was preceded in death by her husband Stanley, sons William and James and her great granddaughter Harper. Floretta is survived by her daughter Mary Louise Veraa, her husband Michael J. Veraa, granddaughters Diane M. Veraa, Karen L. Veraa, Megan S. Marteeny, and Robyn N. Veraa; Great granddaughters Hannah E. Northam, Hailey M. Northam and Victoria R. Schenone; and Great grandsons Aiden M. Marteeny, Elon Conner Marteeny and Julian A. Schenone.
A gravesite service will be held at Ponte Vedra Valley Cemetery at 4750 Palm Valley Road, Ponta Vedra Beach, Florida 32082 on Monday, December 19, 2022 at 1:00 pm.
