Louis Falconer

Louis Morgan Falconer of Flatonia went to be with his loving wife Lila on Saturday, July 12, 2014 at the age of 93. In the seven years since Lila had left for heaven, there literally was not a day that he did not mourn their parting. He is survived by his daughter, Merrill Chow and his son, Daniel Falconer, and three grandchildren: Merrill's children Danielle Graham Smith of Long Island, NY and Brandon Graham of La Grange, and Daniel's stepdaughter Alysa Lee Johnson of Austin. Louis was born May 16, 1921 in Wilson, LA to Emma and Ben Falconer. They moved to New Iberia, LA when he was a boy, where he met his life mate, Mildred Alice "Lila" Falconer, in elementary school. They fell in love when they were eleven and twelve, and never dated anyone else. "Bud," as he came to be called, worked in the oilfield and for the telephone company until World War II, when he enlisted in the Army Signal Corps. He married Lila in 1942. He later transferred to the Army Air Corps, where he flew fighter planes, then taught other trainees to fly. After the war he attended Southern Louisiana University on the GI Bill and earned a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering. He went to work as an engineer for the Ethyl Corporation in Pasadena, TX, where he lived and raised his family, until he retired. He and Lila always wanted to live in a rural or small-town setting, so they travelled the country after his retirement with an eye to a little piece of undeveloped land. They finally settled in the central Texas area near Flatonia, moving into town after a stint raising cattle on land they bought in Gonzales County. They lived in Flatonia on East 5th Street for years, and in 2000 they built their dream home, an "underground house" just south of town that is now a landmark in the community. He lived there until his passing, going peacefully to heaven in his sleep. During his years in Flatonia he - and Lila, of course - kept busy at a number of community projects, including the Flatonia United Methodist Church; they delivered meals to housebound and seniors; Louis drove a school bus for FISD for years; he studied emergency medicine and helped start the ambulance service in Flatonia; he served for a time as a judge here in town; and he was a lifetime member and participant in a number of Masonic Lodges in central Texas and Louisiana. Still, the center of his universe was always his dear Lila. Funeral services will be held at the Flatonia United Methodist Church on Friday July 18, 2014 at 2:00 pm with Pastor Phillip Hefner officiating. Burial will follow at the Oak Hill Cemetery. Donations may be made to the Flatonia United Methodist Church, or any organization that helps distressed animals. Words of comfort may be expressed to the family at www.smithfuneralhomeflatonia.com. Smith Funeral Home-128 East 5th Street-Flatonia, Texas 78941-Phone # 361-865-3311
Funeral Service Friday, July 18, 2014