[StBernard] Leonora Egan of Arabi is named St. Bernard's Woman of the Year

[Westley Annis]

Leonora Egan of Arabi is named St. Bernard's Woman of the Year
Print Barry Lemoine By Barry Lemoine 
on September 03, 2014 at 8:37 AM, updated September 03, 2014 at 8:38 AM

Leonora "Nora" Egan of Arabi, a community philanthropist, has been named by
the St. Bernard Business and Professional Women's Club as its Woman of the
Year. Egan will be honored at the club's Business Women's Week Gala October
22 at the Sigur Center, 8245 W. Judge Perez Drive in Chalmette.

Tickets and table reservations are on sale now. Tickets are $55 per person.
For tickets or reservations, call Wanda Alcon at 504.451.3694.

For more than 50 years, the women's club has annually honored community
members for their contributions to the parish and professional
accomplishments.

Egan has demonstrated her commitment to St. Bernard through her involvement
in a number of civic and charitable organizations.

She is most noted for her work with Stitch in Time Club, a part of the St.
Bernard Volunteers for Family and Community sponsored by the LSU AgCenter.
She has been a member for 42 years and currently serves as its president.
Egan coordinates bingo parties for senior citizens at nursing homes, serves
as a volunteer at area schools, and participates in the annual St. Bernard
Special Olympics where the group raises money by selling sweets.

Egan is also a driving force in St. Bernard's annual Christmas Tour of
Homes. She served as the chair of its first ever holiday tour, opening her
home to hundreds of guests.  Under her leadership, over the last twenty
years, the organization has raised over $250,000 which has been donated to
those in need.

Egan also helped form St. Bernard Gives Back a disaster relief organization,
which sponsors fund raisers to help victims who suffer loss from hurricanes
and other disasters.  One such event is the "Sweets and Treats" Gala that
has raised l over $30,000 to tornado and flood victims.

Most recently, Egan was named as one of this year's honorees for the Cancer
Crusaders luncheon Sept. 11 at the Marriott Hotel.

She said she is flattered and touched by such recognition.

"I'm overwhelmed by all these honors at one time," Egan said.

Egan has been married to William H. Egan since 1967, and the couple have two
children, William III , and Kelli Egan Newbry and are grandparents to one
grandson, Robert Vincent Newbry.

Nora said all the work she has done is for the betterment of the parish.

"I feel that I was born to volunteer.  It gives me a high to know that what
I do helps our community and people.  I love St. Bernard and want to help
wherever I can," she said.

A former flight attendance and airline reservations agent, Egan is also an
accomplished seamstress. She has sewn costumes for Kings, Queens, and other
royalty for carnival organizations such as Gladiators, Endymion, Juno, Zulu,
Caesar, and Lourdes. On many occasions, she has sewn wedding dresses and
outfits for the entire bridal parties and also made costumes at no cost for
those in financial difficulty.

"I love the people of St. Bernard and the challenge of helping to make it
even better."