Ancient City native Leonilla Stephens passed away quietly at age 94 surrounded by her family on Aug. 31, 2012, in California. The former Miss Leonilla Rita Blue was born in St. Augustine, Fla., on June 28, 1918, the daughter of William F. Blue and Alma I. Usina, granddaughter of cigar manufacturer Fred C. Usina and Leonilla M. Oliveros, and great-granddaughter of St. Augustine City Treasurer Domingo B. Usina and Dora Genovar. Mrs. Stephens was the proud descendant of Spanish settlers in Florida going back to 1599, and a descendant of the Menorcan colonists who came to New Smyrna, East Florida, in 1768.
Mrs. Stephens was born and raised on Saragossa Street. As a young lady, she assisted her grandfather in making cigars. She played saxophone in band leader John J. Heney's 50-piece East Coast Band, and she would perform with them in the St. Augustine Plaza. She graduated from St. Joseph Academy in 1935, and was the salutatorian. She helped her Uncle F. Charles Usina at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. She later worked as a cashier at the Jefferson Theater on Cordova Street and Cathedral Place. She used her income from the theater to pay for flying lessons in Jacksonville, becoming an early aviatrix.
Mrs. Stephens married Navy Corpsman James T. Stephens, Jr. in 1941 at the St. Augustine Cathedral, and had a son born in Jacksonville, James T. Stephens III, and a daughter born in St. Augustine, Linda Stephens. As a Navy wife, she moved around a lot, living in Ottumwa, Iowa; San Diego, Calif.; Trinidad, British West Indies; Newport, R.I.; Oakland, Calif.; and Santa Ana, Calif.; before settling in Castro Valley, Calif., in 1954. In California, Mrs. Stephens helped publish a collie newsletter, and her chief hobbies were bowling, raising collies, and bingo. She took her young grandchildren to Florida often to give them an appreciation and love of what she always considered her home - St. Augustine. She enjoyed travel, and visited Florida, Hawaii, Nevada, Georgia and Mexico. In 2008, she celebrated her 90th birthday at the Columbia Restaurant in St. Augustine, surrounded by her family from California and Florida.
Mrs. Stephens is survived by her loving daughter, Linda (Robert Renouf); her cherished grandsons, Stephen (Joy) Renouf and Mark (Elena) Renouf; her adored great-grandsons, Anthony Renouf and James Renouf, all living in California; and her cousins, Mary (Vernon Casto), Jean Hoey, Betty (George Ford), Reesie (James Dameron), Malinda (Bobby Jones), Gary (Jean) Usina, Cathy (Gene Laird), and Carol Lopez Bradshaw; all living in Florida. Interment was in the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Hayward, Calif.
St. Augustine Record (FL) Oct 3 2012
Mrs. Stephens was born and raised on Saragossa Street. As a young lady, she assisted her grandfather in making cigars. She played saxophone in band leader John J. Heney's 50-piece East Coast Band, and she would perform with them in the St. Augustine Plaza. She graduated from St. Joseph Academy in 1935, and was the salutatorian. She helped her Uncle F. Charles Usina at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. She later worked as a cashier at the Jefferson Theater on Cordova Street and Cathedral Place. She used her income from the theater to pay for flying lessons in Jacksonville, becoming an early aviatrix.
Mrs. Stephens married Navy Corpsman James T. Stephens, Jr. in 1941 at the St. Augustine Cathedral, and had a son born in Jacksonville, James T. Stephens III, and a daughter born in St. Augustine, Linda Stephens. As a Navy wife, she moved around a lot, living in Ottumwa, Iowa; San Diego, Calif.; Trinidad, British West Indies; Newport, R.I.; Oakland, Calif.; and Santa Ana, Calif.; before settling in Castro Valley, Calif., in 1954. In California, Mrs. Stephens helped publish a collie newsletter, and her chief hobbies were bowling, raising collies, and bingo. She took her young grandchildren to Florida often to give them an appreciation and love of what she always considered her home - St. Augustine. She enjoyed travel, and visited Florida, Hawaii, Nevada, Georgia and Mexico. In 2008, she celebrated her 90th birthday at the Columbia Restaurant in St. Augustine, surrounded by her family from California and Florida.
Mrs. Stephens is survived by her loving daughter, Linda (Robert Renouf); her cherished grandsons, Stephen (Joy) Renouf and Mark (Elena) Renouf; her adored great-grandsons, Anthony Renouf and James Renouf, all living in California; and her cousins, Mary (Vernon Casto), Jean Hoey, Betty (George Ford), Reesie (James Dameron), Malinda (Bobby Jones), Gary (Jean) Usina, Cathy (Gene Laird), and Carol Lopez Bradshaw; all living in Florida. Interment was in the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Hayward, Calif.
St. Augustine Record (FL) Oct 3 2012
Ancient City native Leonilla Stephens passed away quietly at age 94 surrounded by her family on Aug. 31, 2012, in California. The former Miss Leonilla Rita Blue was born in St. Augustine, Fla., on June 28, 1918, the daughter of William F. Blue and Alma I. Usina, granddaughter of cigar manufacturer Fred C. Usina and Leonilla M. Oliveros, and great-granddaughter of St. Augustine City Treasurer Domingo B. Usina and Dora Genovar. Mrs. Stephens was the proud descendant of Spanish settlers in Florida going back to 1599, and a descendant of the Menorcan colonists who came to New Smyrna, East Florida, in 1768.
Mrs. Stephens was born and raised on Saragossa Street. As a young lady, she assisted her grandfather in making cigars. She played saxophone in band leader John J. Heney's 50-piece East Coast Band, and she would perform with them in the St. Augustine Plaza. She graduated from St. Joseph Academy in 1935, and was the salutatorian. She helped her Uncle F. Charles Usina at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. She later worked as a cashier at the Jefferson Theater on Cordova Street and Cathedral Place. She used her income from the theater to pay for flying lessons in Jacksonville, becoming an early aviatrix.
Mrs. Stephens married Navy Corpsman James T. Stephens, Jr. in 1941 at the St. Augustine Cathedral, and had a son born in Jacksonville, James T. Stephens III, and a daughter born in St. Augustine, Linda Stephens. As a Navy wife, she moved around a lot, living in Ottumwa, Iowa; San Diego, Calif.; Trinidad, British West Indies; Newport, R.I.; Oakland, Calif.; and Santa Ana, Calif.; before settling in Castro Valley, Calif., in 1954. In California, Mrs. Stephens helped publish a collie newsletter, and her chief hobbies were bowling, raising collies, and bingo. She took her young grandchildren to Florida often to give them an appreciation and love of what she always considered her home - St. Augustine. She enjoyed travel, and visited Florida, Hawaii, Nevada, Georgia and Mexico. In 2008, she celebrated her 90th birthday at the Columbia Restaurant in St. Augustine, surrounded by her family from California and Florida.
Mrs. Stephens is survived by her loving daughter, Linda (Robert Renouf); her cherished grandsons, Stephen (Joy) Renouf and Mark (Elena) Renouf; her adored great-grandsons, Anthony Renouf and James Renouf, all living in California; and her cousins, Mary (Vernon Casto), Jean Hoey, Betty (George Ford), Reesie (James Dameron), Malinda (Bobby Jones), Gary (Jean) Usina, Cathy (Gene Laird), and Carol Lopez Bradshaw; all living in Florida. Interment was in the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Hayward, Calif.
St. Augustine Record (FL) Oct 3 2012
Mrs. Stephens was born and raised on Saragossa Street. As a young lady, she assisted her grandfather in making cigars. She played saxophone in band leader John J. Heney's 50-piece East Coast Band, and she would perform with them in the St. Augustine Plaza. She graduated from St. Joseph Academy in 1935, and was the salutatorian. She helped her Uncle F. Charles Usina at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. She later worked as a cashier at the Jefferson Theater on Cordova Street and Cathedral Place. She used her income from the theater to pay for flying lessons in Jacksonville, becoming an early aviatrix.
Mrs. Stephens married Navy Corpsman James T. Stephens, Jr. in 1941 at the St. Augustine Cathedral, and had a son born in Jacksonville, James T. Stephens III, and a daughter born in St. Augustine, Linda Stephens. As a Navy wife, she moved around a lot, living in Ottumwa, Iowa; San Diego, Calif.; Trinidad, British West Indies; Newport, R.I.; Oakland, Calif.; and Santa Ana, Calif.; before settling in Castro Valley, Calif., in 1954. In California, Mrs. Stephens helped publish a collie newsletter, and her chief hobbies were bowling, raising collies, and bingo. She took her young grandchildren to Florida often to give them an appreciation and love of what she always considered her home - St. Augustine. She enjoyed travel, and visited Florida, Hawaii, Nevada, Georgia and Mexico. In 2008, she celebrated her 90th birthday at the Columbia Restaurant in St. Augustine, surrounded by her family from California and Florida.
Mrs. Stephens is survived by her loving daughter, Linda (Robert Renouf); her cherished grandsons, Stephen (Joy) Renouf and Mark (Elena) Renouf; her adored great-grandsons, Anthony Renouf and James Renouf, all living in California; and her cousins, Mary (Vernon Casto), Jean Hoey, Betty (George Ford), Reesie (James Dameron), Malinda (Bobby Jones), Gary (Jean) Usina, Cathy (Gene Laird), and Carol Lopez Bradshaw; all living in Florida. Interment was in the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Hayward, Calif.
St. Augustine Record (FL) Oct 3 2012
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