Antonia Scott Day

Antonia, also known as Toni, came from a long line of intelligent, strong women - feminists before and of their times. Her many friends and family have described her as smart, kind, competent, polished, and forceful; and she took pride in her liberal approach to ideas, life, and people. Born to R. Chester Day and Bertha “Bert” Nauwald Day in Houston in 1936, she grew up attending HISD schools, singing in the junior choir at St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, traveling to Menard to visit her grandparents, and spending summers at Camp Arrowhead along the Guadalupe River.

After graduating from Lamar High School in December 1953 as a “mid-termer,” Toni matriculated at Randolph-Macon Women’s College in Lynchburg, Virginia. Always a school lover, Toni made lifelong friends and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, having taken 40 hours of chemistry. She received a Ford Foundation fellowship to attend Johns Hopkins University, earning a Master of Arts in teaching. In August 1959 she married George H. Hagle, Jr., whom she had dated at Lamar.

Toni taught middle school science in Austin while George earned his JD at The University of Texas. After living in San Antonio while George clerked for a federal judge, they settled in Houston in 1963 and had two children, MaryScott in 1963 and George III in 1967. Toni was an active volunteer with the Museum of Fine Arts and the Junior League of Houston, and a smiling spaghetti server at Poe School’s annual Carnival.

When her husband was recruited by British Petroleum in 1975, Toni relocated her life to the San Francisco Bay Area, where her distinctive, Virginia-tinged Texas lilt was a remarkable attraction. She joined the Junior League of Oakland and made many fast friends in the city of Piedmont and at the Episcopal Church of St.-John-in-Montclair. When Toni and George separated in 1979, she enrolled at Golden Gate University, earning an MBA with honors. Once daughter MaryScott finished high school in 1981, Antonia moved back to Houston with son George (then entering high school) and launched a successful career in banking, culminating with many years selling financial services at Northern Trust.

She married George A. Helland, Jr. in 1990, after meeting him through close mutual friends. George and Antonia traveled together extensively, including trips to Asia, the Amazon, Scotland (20 annual pheasant shoots), and a cruise with their entire blended family to the Galapagos Islands in 2012. George Helland was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in late 2013, and Antonia managed his care in their home with fierce love and tenderness until his death in 2023.

Antonia was a gifted scholar and an instinctive, inspirational mentor - never happier than when she was teaching anything to anybody. She loved to tell hilarious (and instructive) stories – at large holiday gatherings, casual family dinners, or tête-a-tête over scalding black coffee. She was a committed mender – working tirelessly to repair not only frayed blankets or damaged furniture, but also stitching up people, communities, and institutions – generously sharing her wisdom and resources to help others find their way.

Antonia was a joiner who cherished her many social circles: book club, breakfast club, supper club, alumni clubs, churches. She was especially devoted to Randolph-Macon Women's College - now Randolph College - remaining stalwart as they pivoted to admit men. Her loyalty shone in all her relationships, not least in her 40-year friendships with her housekeeper and hair stylist, and 15-year commitment to her dog walker. She stayed in close touch with friends from elementary school, high school, college, early married years, and California, right up until her death.

Antonia’s broader community work included serving as a trustee of the Powell Foundation, senior warden at Christ Church Cathedral, and board member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital. In the 1970s she worked diligently for HISD reform with Citizens for Good Schools and as an early board chair for Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS).

Antonia managed her exit from this life with the determination and grace her family and friends had come to expect. Heart failure and other ailments had troubled her for some years. When illness finally eclipsed her ability to enjoy life, she entered hospice care at home, declined her medications, and experienced a quiet, peaceful death. One of her last remarks was “It’s been a good ride.”

Antonia is survived by loving family: children MaryScott Hagle and husband Daniel Kornberg of Houston; George Hagle III and wife Paige Hagle of Houston; Elizabeth Helland Johnston and husband Patrick Johnston of Portland, OR; and Thomas Helland and wife Stephanie Helland of Decatur, GA; her brother and sister-in-law Jonathan and Barbara Day of Houston; and seven grandchildren: Eleanor-Day Kornberg, Emma Scott Hagle, Anna-William Kornberg, George Hagle IV, Alison Simmons, Luke Johnston, and Rory Johnston. A service will be held in her memory at Christ Church Cathedral at 11:00 am on Friday, August 22nd. We invite guests to honor Antonia’s distinctive style by wearing a hat or something red.

Donations in Antonia’s memory can be mailed to Randolph College Office of Advancement, P.O. Box 3215, Lynchburg, VA 24503.