Professor Betty Juanelle Pearson Ph.D.

Juanelle was born on January 9, 1945, in Dallas, Texas. Juanelle’s parents Everardo (Edward) aka “Lalo” Isabel Lozano Cantu, Sr. and Pauline Espedion (aka “Speedy”) Castillo-Lozano raised her in Dallas as a Catholic Mexican American child. Since being a toddler, Juanelle spoke both fluent English and Spanish. She annually visited her parents’ extended families in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico and Austin, Texas. She took dance, tap, and ballet classes as a young girl where she performed on stage. She was quite flexible and excelled in gymnastics and tumbling as well. Juanelle attended the public schools: Obadiah Knight Elementary School in the Dallas-Love Field area, Thomas J. Rusk Middle School in Northwest Dallas, and North Dallas High School in the Dallas-Oaklawn area when she graduated in 1963. Throughout her school years in Dallas, she was a member of Camp Fire Girls. She was an accomplished student during her time at North Dallas High School and was a respected member of the North Dallas Viking Marching Band Program and the Texas All-State Orchestra. She auditioned and earned a spot in NDHS Color Guard, but at the request of her band director kept her marching post playing clarinet. She was a member of the National Honor Society, Honor Rolls, Future Nurses, Y-Teens, Perigon Club, Band, and Orchestra, and was senior representative to the Band Council. She was the Salutatorian of the 1963 Senior Class at North Dallas High School ranking second academically out of 241 students. That same year, Club President Andy Waters from the North Dallas-Park Cities Kiwanis Club presented to her at the Melrose Hotel a $500.00 college scholarship award where their photo was taken together with Dr. Robert Morris and published in the local newspaper the Dallas Times Herald on April 24, 1963. She eventually earned other college scholarships and grants to cover the full costs of her entire college education. She loved music and played the clarinet in the marching band and the French horn and oboe in the orchestra. Additionally, she played piano. She entered various instrumental contests and took part in the Texas Women’s University Band Festival, Dallas Texas Cotton Bowl, as well as other assemblies and parades.

Juanelle attended and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education in two fields of French and History from the University of Dallas in 1967, a Master of Science in Ecology with research fields in fish physiology from the University of North Texas in 1976, and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Science in Biology with research fields in fish physiology and diseases of fresh water fish in lakes, streams, and rivers of the United States from the University of Louisville in Kentucky in 1983. As an undergraduate, during the summers she worked as a server at El Fenix Mexican Restaurants at the Dallas and Six Flags Over Texas locations. After earning her undergraduate degree, Juanelle taught French and history classes in public high schools in Dallas, Texas for three years. Notably she was a strong willed and minded woman in 1969, after she gave birth to her daughter Leslie. Juanelle went into labor with Leslie on her birthday on January 9th and Leslie was born the next day on January 10th. Every year they celebrated their birthdays together throughout her life. In the 1970’s, women faced widespread oppression and discrimination in employment and education in the United States. Having had a daughter during this time in our country’s history only strengthened Juanelle’s determination and she completed the highest-level college education in her field of study. In Louisville, she served as Brownie Co-Leader of the Girl Scouts of America from 1976-1978 for Leslie’s troop. As a graduate student Juanelle was a research and laboratory assistant at North Texas State University in Denton, Texas where she met Professor William Dean Pearson, Ph.D. who she later married in Louisville, Kentucky. She also taught part-time as an Adjunct Professor of Biology at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany, Indiana. After earning her Doctorate, she became a Professor of Biology at Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky in 1987. While teaching at Spalding University in Louisville, she eventually attained the rank of Tenured Professor of Biology earning permanent tenure before retiring from her full-time position in 2003. After teaching full-time at Spalding for sixteen years, she then taught part-time at Jefferson Community College in Shelbyville, KY until 2009. During her teaching career she helped train pre-medical doctors, nurses, other health-care professionals, biologists, environmental scientists, ecologists, and botanists. College level courses she taught included: Biology, Botany, Pathophysiology, Anatomy and Physiology, Animal Behavior, Tropical & Rain Forest Ecology, and Marine Ecology. Her community admired and respected her for her volunteer work throughout her life.

In 1994, Governor Brereton C. Jones appointed Professor Betty Juanelle Pearson, Ph.D. to the Kentucky Biodiversity Task Force. She served three years as the President of the Louisville Regional Science Fair and over a decade as President of the Kentucky Science and Engineering Fair, as well as received federal grants for environmental teaching programs. She published 12 scientific papers and articles and had special training in fish diseases. Over the course of eight years in the 1990’s, she organized and led seven groups of university students from Kentucky to Belize in Central America at Programme for Belize (PfB) where they studied coral reef, tropical, and rainforest ecology under her direction for college credits. Her husband Bill co-taught the courses she led as a visiting professor. Juanelle also took students to study abroad in Costa Rica. She was quite an adventurer and enjoyed traveling worldwide, taking courses, and teaching students. Places her travels took her were Spain, Mexico, Costa Rica, Belize, Ecuador, and throughout the United States. Her naturalist legacy to her family, students, and everyone she met was educating them on topics in conservation, ecosystem protection, and sustainable use of forest resources. For 25 years she and her husband owned their own private consulting business, Lake Management Analysts and travelled to scientific meetings throughout the United States together. In 2014, Governor Steve L. Beshear of Kentucky commissioned Juanelle as a Kentucky Colonel for her service to the state of Kentucky. She was most proud of serving as the major professor for graduate students in Louisville, as well as international students throughout the world. On a volunteer basis serving her local community, she taught ESOL for Spanish speaking students and immigrants for Eastern Area Community Ministries in Louisville, as well as for various other Catholic charities. She was an active parishioner at Epiphany Catholic Church in Louisville from 1976 to 2025, as well as at Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church in Parkland, Florida from 2010 to 2025. She was an active member of the American Fisheries Society (AFS), Programme For Belize (PfB), American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Ecological Society of America (ESA), National Audubon Society (NAS), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and was SCUBA and boating certified. She also consulted for the Kentucky Nature Preserves Commission, Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources, Falls of the Ohio State Park, and the U.S. Forest Service.

Juanelle was a member of Beta Sigma Phi while living in Texas. When she moved from Dallas to Louisville away from her family, the local membership of “Torchbearer Epsilon” Beta Sigma Phi in Louisville, Kentucky, welcomed her into their chapter. Her membership in the international sorority was from 1973 to 2025. Their motto was “Life, Learning, and Friendship” and its commitment to community service. Juanelle cherished her friendships with all of her fellow members and enjoyed taking part in all of their activities. She served in various executive board positions as a member. During the last six years of her life when she was unable to travel, members continued to stay connected with her monthly and sent her get well wishes on cards and

phone calls. These kind acts of “Friendship” meant the world to her and always put a smile on her face! Juanelle was also a member of her local Louisville Bunco Club from1976 to 1988, which was a friendly game of dice based on luck where she socialized with friends and had lots of fun! Friends and colleagues described Juanelle as loyal, helpful, generous, kind, intelligent, clever, and quick witted. Her daughter and three grandchildren brought so much joy to her life and made her proud! Juanelle felt blessed and was so thankful and happy that her family was without a doubt willing, able, and kept her home for nursing care. She had a strong emotional bond with her full-time caregiver the last six years of her life her daughter Leslie, her three grandchildren Nico, Noah, and Nina (aka “Felix”), and her favorite nephew and co-caregiver the last two years of her life Thomas (aka “Tommy”). They all provided unwavering dedication to her that was paramount! Her love for them was evident on a daily basis by her smile and expressive words of gratitude. Throughout her lifetime her interests included spending time with her daughter and three grandchildren, reading, gardening, scrapbooking, sewing, shopping for antiques, watching educational television, fishing, boating, water skiing, shelling, hiking, traveling, and bird watching. Experiencing the great outdoors was her favorite past time! We will remember Juanelle as a devoted and loyal wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend. To Juanelle we all say, “Thank you for educating and caring about us! You truly had a profound influence in all of our lives!” Dr. P as she was known in Kentucky, said in her voicemail message, “I’m sorry I can’t take your call right now. I’m outside looking for a great potoo.” This nocturnal bird, like owls, is native to Central and South America where forest clearing is its conservation threat. While in the rain forest in Central America she and her students were always on the lookout for a great potoo! Honor her legacy by birdwatching. And, in her closing comments in conversation and emails, she always said, “May God bless you and give you peace!” Honor her legacy by being kind to others.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 47 ½ years Professor William (aka “Bill”) Dean Pearson Ph.D., her parents Everardo (Edward aka “Lalo”) Isabel Lozano Cantu, Sr. and Pauline Espedion (aka “Speedy”) Castillo-Lozano, her brothers Everardo (Edward aka “Sonny”) Lozano, Jr., Adolph Lozano, Gilbert Lozano, Wallace Guadalupe Lozano, Jesse Jaime Lozano, Edward Jaime Lozano, David Lee Lozano, Charlotte Ruth Green-Petersen, and her niece Adelpha Elaine (aka “Sunnie”) Lozano-Rodriguez. She is survived by her devoted daughter and full-time caregiver Leslie Gabrielle Caracuel (Jose Manuel aka “Manolo”), grandchild Nicolas (aka “Nico”) Manuel Caracuel, grandchild Noah Gabriel Caracuel (Noa), grandchild Nina (aka “Felix”) Caracuel, step-son Eric Conlon Pearson (Sabrine), sister Professor Margaret Carolyn Matzinger, M.S. (Marvin), sister DeeDee Dinah Lozano, her nephew and co-caregiver Thomas (aka “Tommy”) Lee Pope, niece Sarah Dominica Pope, sister Evelyn Kay Gomez (Michael), several other nieces, nephews, cousins, and special friends: Kathy Nemec (Charles), The Noel's (Mike, Mezetta, Nathan, & Joe), and her sorority sisters of Beta Sigma Phi.

An open Memorial Mass will be on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at 11:00AM at Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church located at 5980 N University Dr, Parkland, FL 33067.You may view the livestream by clicking on the following link - https://youtu.be/_oEi39xWQuA

A Celebration of Life Memorial will be on November 17, 2025, at Selena’s at Willow Lake Tavern located at 10609 Lagrange Road, Louisville, KY 40223.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to your local Salvation Army or Goodwill Industries, both organizations that were dear to her heart