Helen Nadine Blackmon Kouri

Helen was born April 23, 1925, in Haskell County, Texas, to Ernest and Willie Blackmon. She grew up in the Great Depression, moving all over Texas with her family as they worked the land to make ends meet. After she completed Manor High School, she worked at Camp Swift, Child Welfare and then Texas Unemployment Compensation Commission.

Helen was a pretty girl with sparkling hazel eyes, and she met in Manor a dark, handsome Tom Kouri, who was the love of her life. They were married in Austin in 1947. Together they built a life; she raised four children and managed the household, while Tom was busy running Humpty Dumpty, the grocery store on 6th Street. Tom also worked on his cattle ranch, which would eventually be sold to the Bass Brothers and became Round Rock’s La Frontera.

Over the years, Helen belonged to Save the Children Federation, Austin Women’s Club, Austin Club, St Mary’s Cathedral and Sacred Heart Catholic Church. She volunteered at Seton Hospital for 22 years. For years she was an avid reader and did a crossword puzzle daily. She enjoyed modeling in many style shows. She loved Dallas Cowboy football, yoga, poker with the family, and traveling. In her later years, she enjoyed watching her soap operas and looking out the window admiring the hibiscus that Tom had given her, and watching the 8 monk parakeets that visited her birdfeeder in her backyard. She was also thrilled by her weekly visits from two of her great grandsons, and she loved getting to see all four of her great-grandsons on all special occasions. Her two out-of-state great-granddaughters were also very dear to her.

Helen taught her children about empathy; she taught them to love and accept others. She gave them security and unconditional love. As a Christian, she was a woman of great faith and a wonderful role model. Every morning she would raise her blinds and say, “Good morning, Jesus.”

Helen was beautiful on the inside and outside. She was sweet, loving, kind, caring, good, unselfish, elegant, classy, gracious, thoughtful, and angelic. One of her teachers told her that the following poem by David Parker was talking about her:

One night as old St. Peter slept

He left the door of heaven ajar

When through a little angel crept

And came down with a falling star

Our angel is now back in heaven praising God…Alleluia!

She is survived by her four children, Cynthia Motloch (spouse, John), Jim Kouri (spouse, Nancy), Pam Bommarito, Moses C. Kouri (spouse, Sherry); and all of the four grandchildren and six great grandchildren (plus one on the way.) She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Genevieve Kouri, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Helen was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Tom Kouri, and by her siblings Tommie Crook and Leonard Blackmon.

Helen’s family wants to thank all of her amazing caregivers that she has had and especially those from Home Care Assistance of Austin who took care of her for the last year and a half.

The funeral Mass was June 10th at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Austin. Due to Covid-19, the funeral was private for the immediate family. Internment was at Assumption Cemetery in Austin.

Memorial contributions may be made in Helen’s honor to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org).