Born in Los Angeles, and well educated.  Mrs. Portlock earned several licences and completed her Masters, having graduated from Jefferson High School, Henrietta School of Cosmetology, Los Angeles Trade Tech and UCLA.  She loved Jefferson High School and spoke fondly of her class called "The Aquatanians."  Later she became Vice President of the Thomas Jefferson High School Alumni Association.  In 1966 during the school's 50th-anniversary celebration at The Beverly Hilton Hotel Grand Ballroom, she was responsible for arranging the guest speaker, Dr. Ralph Bunch, Under Secretary of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

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Her entrepreneurial spirit can initially be attributed to a long family lineage of business owners, helping her to blossom in several capacities as a runway model, hand and foot model and a hairstylist in her parents' 24-hour "Driveway Beauty Shop." Embarking upon a career as an educator and pastry chef, she worked at several schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District; including Cattaraugus High School, Pacific Palisades High School, Fleming Jr. High, Gompers Junior High, Narbonne High School and Dorsey High School.  She later retired from the Community College District after working at West Los Angeles College and Pierce College.  During this time time, she also operated J.Zna's, her own catering and wedding coordination business, which thrived for over 60 years.  Juanita designed and sewed hundreds of wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses.  Her clientele included celebrities, and brides who sought out her sophistication and creativity.  She was also a member of the American Association of Wedding Directors and served as the Wedding Director at Bethel A.M.E. Church for over 25 years.

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Mrs. Portlock's devoted husband, Earl Portlock, pre-deceased her. During his lifetime, he was her anchor.