Toni Manson

Toni Manson—avid reader, art and music lover, dog mom, stiletto enthusiast, purse aficionado, gardener, collector of fantastical objects, and loving wife and sister—passed away the evening of April 27, with her loving husband and dog by her side.

It is difficult to overstate just how much we have lost with Toni’s passing. Toni was a loving spirit who brought a ray of sunlight into every room she entered. She had a searing wit and infectious laugh, and to be around her was to be around joy personified.

She and her husband Andy Aguilar built a beautiful life together. They shared a deep love of music, often spending afternoons just sitting beside one another listening to records. Theirs was a rare love, a deep connection that any of us would be happy to experience for just a single day. They spent just shy of 29 beautiful years together, married for 13. Their wedding day was as unique as they were: they married on the banks of the San Antonio river during their lunch hours with two of their closest friends at their side. They didn’t need anything flashy or showy. Their love for each other was enough.

She and Andy doted on their beloved rescue dog, Cody. Cody was a mama’s boy, and he loved Toni unconditionally. He was by her side as she passed, comforting her with kisses and his warmth.

Toni was a fashion maven, and loved her shoes and bags. She often lamented that women didn’t wear high heels anymore. The audacity! She leaves behind a formidable closet, and we ask the ladies reading this to please think of Toni every time you put on a pair of heels and grab your favorite purse.

Shoes and bags weren’t the only things she collected. Her collections were as whimsical as she was: kaleidoscopes, fossils, fine art prints, glass sculptures, and, over the years, cats. Though she later became a dog mom, Toni spent many years as a bonafide cat lady, beginning with raising show cats as a child with her mother and sisters.

She and Andy spent many lazy days at their vacation home in Fort Clark Springs, Texas. That house was Toni’s pride and joy, and she took great care in decorating it and making it a haven-away-from-home for her, Andy, and Cody. The beautiful memories they made there will live on among the cycads and lily pads that grow along Las Moras Creek.

In addition to being a devoted wife and dog mom, Toni was also a devoted sister, spending nearly every Saturday with her sister DeeDee. She and DeeDee shared a love of gardening and cats, and the kind of sisterly love that the rest of us can only dream of.

She was also close with Andy’s family. She was a surrogate daughter to Andy’s mother Guadalupe, and like a sister to Andy’s sister, Pati, and the entire extended Aguilar clan welcomed her with open arms, but especially Andy’s daughter, Julianne. Toni held an extremely special place in Julianne’s heart. She loved her dearly, and will miss her for the rest of her life.

Antoinette Renee “Toni” Manson was born in San Antonio on June 28, 1958, to Vivian Meyer Manson and Robert Lee Manson. She was preceded in death by her parents, and by her brother, Michael Manson. She is survived by her sisters Diane “DeeDee” Manson and Yvette Manson, and by her husband, Andrew Aguilar.

She is joined in the next life by her dogs Gerdie and Greta, and by her many cats, including Tucker, Tilda, Bitsy, and Gladys.

Toni was a talented accountant, and spent her career at a variety of firms, including Aquarena Springs, Tetco, and Huffman & Co., before landing at Brehm, Havel & Company, from which she retired. She attended Incarnate Word High School, and graduated from Highlands High School, San Antonio, Texas.

We all loved Toni dearly, and she will live in our hearts forever.

We invite all who knew and loved Toni to a celebration of her life on May 18, 2026, at Porter Loring McCullough. The visitation begins at 3pm, and the service begins at 4pm.