Leona D. Zaboroski
1921-2015
Leona Dehart Zaboroski, passed away on November 6, 2015 at the age of 94. She was born in Bessmay, Texas to R.B. and Jetta Hollis Dehart on March 28, 1921, the third of eleven children, and raised in Jasper County during the Great Depression. Upon graduating from Buna High School in 1938 she set off for the big city of Houston, living with relatives and securing her first job making $6.00 per week.
She married Louis V. Zaboroski on September 21, 1940 and settled in the Cottage Grove area of Houston where she would remain for the next 42 years before moving on to Inwood Forest and ultimately the Champions area.
She raised two sons and participated in their school and play activities, including PTA, Cub Scouts, and Little League Baseball. She also excelled at cooking, cake decorating, crafts, and gardening. Her passion for her flowers and vegetable gardens were unparalleled.
Upon the death of her husband Louis in 1970, she was asked to work for friends of the family at Lobb Hardware on Washington Avenue, spending 25 years meeting many interesting individuals.
In the late 1970’s she was approached by a group determined to restore the Washington Cemetery to the condition of its inception in 1887. Having known the caretakers of the property for many years, she provided historical insight and spent many hours researching and maintaining burial records, locating family members, responding to inquiries, and participating in the physical restoration. She proudly served on the Board of Directors of Concerned Citizens for Washington Cemetery Care and as a Trustee for the Washington Cemetery Historic Trust, until she stepped down in 2012 due to health issues. She continued to tour the property whenever she could.
She always remembered birthdays of friends and family members and was the “go to” person for any family historical information or nostalgia.
Leona is preceded in death by her beloved husband Louis (1970), son Richard Ray Zaboroski (2013), and six siblings. She is survived by son Robert Louis Zaboroski of Houston, grandson Ray Louis Zaboroski (wife Carrie, sons Frank and Jack) of Dallas, sisters Mae Joubert and Doris Hemsworth, brothers Dalton and Delton Dehart, and numerous nieces and nephews. She will be missed by many.
Friends are cordially invited to a visitation from 5 PM to 8 PM at Heights Funeral Home, 1317 Heights Blvd. in Houston, on Tuesday, November 10, 2015. The Funeral Service will be conducted at 1 o’clock on Wednesday, November 11, 2015 at Heights Funeral Home, with burial following in Washington Cemetery.
In lieu of usual remembrances, memorials may be directed to the Washington Cemetery Historic Trust, P. O. Box 63592, Pipe Creek, TX 78063-3592.