Florinda Coronado

Florinda “Flo” Coronado, 96, of Chicago, passed away peacefully on August 31, 2026, after a long life marked by generosity, independence, faith and a wonderfully dry sense of humor.

Born in Texas on January 31, 1930, Flo was one of seven children and the twin sister of the late Francisco “Frank” Coronado. She was always proud to be a Texan, even though Chicago became home for most of her life. During the Great Depression, her family traveled north in search of work, eventually settling in Chicago.

Flo outlived her parents and all six of her siblings. As the last surviving member of her immediate family, she was the matriarch and final member of her generation of the Coronado family.

Flo never married or had children, but she was never without family. Her friends were her family. Throughout her life, she formed deep and lasting friendships, including many through her Catholic faith and the community of St. Hilary Church. Some of those friendships lasted for decades and became every bit as meaningful to Flo as family.

Flo spent most of her life as a beautician and continued working well into her 80s. Generosity came naturally to her. Over the years, she gave rides, provided free haircuts, babysat, loaned money and helped people whenever she saw a need. She especially loved children. Flo never looked for recognition for helping someone; it was simply who she was.

As dedicated as she was to her work, Flo also loved to travel. When time away from the salon permitted, she enjoyed getting away and took several cruises over the years, giving her the opportunity to see new places, relax and enjoy life beyond the salon chair.

Quiet and gentle by nature, Flo also had a sharp wit. She could be blunt, sarcastic and very funny, usually delivering her observations with a perfectly straight face. If Flo had something to say, she generally said it.

She enjoyed Danielle Steel novels and the music of Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Sarah Vaughan. Her Catholic faith remained an important and enduring part of her life.

In her later years, Flo remained surrounded by longtime friends, her goddaughters, caregivers and others who loved her and became part of her everyday life.

Flo witnessed nearly a century of extraordinary change, yet remained grounded in the things that mattered most to her: faith, friendship, independence and helping others.

She lived 96 years, gave far more than she ever asked for in return, and left behind a lifetime of stories and memories for the people who truly knew and loved her.

Through it all, Flo remained Flo.

There will be no public funeral, visitation or memorial service. Flo’s burial will be private, with attendance limited to those personally invited.