Louise Schoener

Louise Schoener passed away early Monday morning, November 27, 2006 in the presence of her two daughters. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease took her life, with all the accompanying complications that made her final months a terrible test of her good nature and free spirit. She met each setback with grit and the determination to live each day well, without complaint. Those who were blessed to know her will remember the courage, grace and humor with which she greeted life. Born in Houston on February 10, 1927 to Vola Hunter Williford and Dorothy Matthews Williford, she lived in Houston, Memphis TN, Austin, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Mexico City, St. Paul MN and eventually came back to Austin where she lived for more than forty years. Her life was informed by a boundless curiosity, love of history and Texas heritage, passion for artistic expression in art and literature, and an abiding love of nature’s beauty. In the days when airline hostesses had to meet stringent criteria for looks and personality, she was hired to fly international routes to Havana and Caracas with Chicago & Southern, an airline that eventually merged with Delta. Louise was a descendant of Stephen F. Austin’s “Old Three Hundred” by lineal descent from Johnson Calhoun Hunter. She was a member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. For many years, she was a member of the Austin Rose Society, helping to maintain the rose gardens at Zilker Park and participating in rose shows. The old garden roses she cultivated remain a showcase of beauty in the yard of her home. Louise also enjoyed the many hours she volunteered at the University Hills branch of the Austin Public Library. Reading was her joy, from the stories of Damon Runyon and J.D. Salinger to the complete works of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. She married Harold George Schoener in 1950, and was preceded by him in death, in 2003. She had two daughters, Suzanne Burnham of Graham TX and Dianne Izzo of Austin and Wickford, Rhode Island. Suzanne is married to Nick Burnham and is the mother of Tita and Clay Burnham. Dianne is married to Robert J. Izzo of Austin and Wickford, RI and is stepmother of Robert’s children and grandchildren in Rhode Island. Louise is survived by a sister, Doris Hood, in Houston. A private, joyous celebration of her life is planned for the anniversary of her birth in 2007. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in memory of Louise Schoener to the Austin Public Library, c/o Library Administration, P.O. Box 2287, Austin, TX 78768-2287, (512) 974-7528.