Dates
Mary “Louise” Korona, released herself from her tired and frail body on Friday, May 6, 2016. She has moved on to another place, full of joy, light, and best of all fulfilling work.
Louise was born in San Angelo, Texas on September 15, 1923 to Annabelle (Fondren) and Lawrence Hillyer. She married Wilson B. Korona, a Brooklyn, NY flight student at Goodfellow Air Base on November 15, 1943. They traveled around the world and lived in many exotic places during his military career. She earned several college degrees while raising 5 children. They retired from the Air Force in 1968 and returned to San Angelo and bought a business called The Fabric Mart.
In 1969, they bought land on Knickerbocker Road, built a building, and moved in. Louise was a visionary. She continued to change with the times, explore her personal growth and transform her beloved store into Korona’s Formal Wear. Louise mentored family, friends, customers, and employees alike. She taught everyone she touched the value of hard work.
One of her proudest moments was convincing her best friend, JW Lown, to run for mayor. After he won, she was his appointee to the City of San Angelo Economic Development Board. Louise was a strong member of the Daybreakers Toastmasters Club for 30 years.
Her love for her family and friends, far and wide, was deep and pure, but her favorite activity was working in her store. On Friday, April 29, 2016, she drove herself to and from Korona’s and worked all day measuring young boys for their prom tuxedos. She was independent and unstoppable.
Louise Korona was preceded in death by two younger brothers, Billy and Jimmy Hillyer, her son, Kevin, her former husband, Wilson Korona, and her former son-in-law, Mark Bunyard.
She is survived by her daughters, Teresa Soll and her husband Vince of San Antonio, Sandra Bertrand of Tampa, Florida, Patricia Korona Bunyard of San Angelo, and her son, Wilson K. Korona and his wife Kathy of San Antonio. She is survived by many grandchildren: Cristen Finnell, and her son, Dugan, DAXS Stadjuhar and his wife, Kerri and their four children, Eric Bertrand and his girlfriend Allana Covi, Shawn Bertrand and his wife, Samantha, and their two children, Sawyer Lewis and her husband, Nathan, Bailey Hamman and her husband, Ryan, Sterling Korona, Ashton Korona, Lyndsey Korona, and Bentley, the family dog.
She is also survived by her store family, Amy Fox, Brittney Albers, and Ginger Samaniego, and all the others, now, before, and to come.
We want to thank everyone for the kind thoughts and prayers for our loss of our dear Mary Louise Korona. As she wished, there will be no funeral.
The best way to honor Louise, is to put in a hard day's work! Her greatest joy was her work dressing the families of West Texas for their formal events. She knows that Korona's Formal Wear has a few more weekends of prom to go, so that's what we are doing now. We know she wouldn't want it any other way.
If you feel a need to give in her honor, please make a donation to the San Angelo Boys and Girls Club.