Maria T Bonura

Maria T. Bonura, 86, passed away on June 6, 2016 at her son's home in Metairie, LA. She was born in Goya, Corrientes, Argentina and traveled to America on a ship in the 1950's where she met a handsome young man named Victor (Zeke), who was working on the ship. The story goes that he told one of his buddies that he was going to marry that girl. He thought she was the most beautiful girl he had seen. He wasn't wrong. Maria lived most of her life in a house they purchased on Elysian Fields after Hurricane Betsy and relocated to her daughter's house in Colorado after Hurricane Katrina. Longing for her adopted home of New Orleans, she moved back to a trailer until her home could be rebuilt. In 2015, due to health issues, she moved into her son and daughter-in-law's home in Metairie where she lived out her remaining days. Maria was a gifted seamstress and put her two youngest children through school utilizing this talent that became her occupation. She made a wedding dress, several bridesmaid dresses and worked for several businesses doing alterations. She was magic with a needle and thread. After her children had grown, she longed to get out of the alteration business and got a job in a clothing store selling clothes. She excelled because of her talent as a seamstress and became one of their top sales people. After a few years with different managers, she returned to alteration work. She enjoyed doing things for her children and revisited her home in Argentina a few times as she missed her eldest daughter terribly throughout her life. She adored her Great-grandchildren and being Gigi to them. She loved animals and cherished her last dog Chloe who stood by her side through all of the changes after Katrina. Her faith in God got her through the darkest days and always encouraged us to continue in our belief. She would say, "God will get you through anything, you just have to pray." As the matriarch of the family, it is the end of an era where our parents looked more like movie stars than parents. Mom will be terribly missed from our lives but never from our hearts. May she rest peacefully in the House of God to await her loved ones. Maria is survived by her children, Beatriz Chas de Sanchez (Orlando d.), Henry R. Bonura (Denise), MeMe O'Brien (Christian), five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Victor T. Bonura (Zeke) and nine brothers and sisters. She was the youngest. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend a Memorial Service on Saturday, June 11, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70124. Visitation will take place prior to the service beginning at 12:00 p.m.