BARBARA ANN HILL COREIL

Barbara Ann Hill Coreil, of Plaquemine, died peacefully on September 13, 2025. She was 87.
Barbara was born in 1937 in rural Arkansas, arriving prematurely and weighing less than three pounds. Against all odds, she survived—not only at birth but following her cancer diagnosis in 2022. Although Barbara arrived in this world in tiny fashion, her life was filled with big accomplishments, yet she remained true to her humble beginnings throughout.
A visitation will be held at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Plaquemine on Friday, September 19, from 8:30 a.m. until Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m., celebrated by Rev. Gerald Martin. Burial will be private at Resthaven Gardens in Baton Rouge.
Barbara moved to Oklahoma when she was in fourth grade and, in 1955, graduated valedictorian from McLoud High School. She left Oklahoma to attend Hotel Dieu School of Nursing in New Orleans, earning her RN diploma. While there, she met and later married Kerne Maurice Coreil Sr., MD, of Ville Platte, who was attending LSU School of Medicine. Barbara began her career as a nurse at the VA Hospital in New Orleans and made Louisiana her home.
She and her husband were married for 13 years and had seven children together before he died in 1972; Barbara was a single mother who dedicated her life to her children (and later to her grandchildren). She believed in the importance of education and was most proud that all of her children earned college degrees.
Second only to her children was Barbara’s devotion to her life as a Catholic (converting in early adulthood) and her work as a nurse. Because education was so important to Barbara, she continued her own education, earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing in 1988 from Southeastern Louisiana University and a master’s degree in pastoral studies from Loyola University, New Orleans, in 1996. For the last 25 years of her career, she worked as a psychiatric nurse at East Louisiana State Hospital (ELSH) in Jackson, retiring in 1997 as assistant director of nursing.
Barbara was a founding member of the Feliciana District Nurses Association and served as its first secretary, a position she held for 10 years. She was a long-time member of the American Nurses Association and the Louisiana State Nurses Association and was inducted into the Louisiana Nursing Hall of Fame in 2004. Upon receiving this prestigious award, she said, “I always wanted to be a nurse; there was never anything else I wanted to be. To me, the patients always came first.”
Barbara served in leadership positions in many other organizations including the ELSH Hospital Auxiliary, the Greater Baton Rouge Mental Health Association, the Jackson High School Band Boosters, and the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women. She was a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Jackson for 30 years; St. George Catholic Church in Baton Rouge for 11 years; and, most recently, St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Plaquemine, where she lived for the past 14 years.
Barbara enjoyed many hobbies, including history and travel. She visited Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Thailand, China, and Canada. She also traveled throughout the U.S., including Hawaii and Alaska, and enjoyed bus trips with friends. She was a history enthusiast and particularly enjoyed Louisiana history and architecture. In her retirement, she served as a tour guide at the Old Governor’s Mansion in Baton Rouge. For 10 years, she was active in the Senior Olympic Games, primarily in horseshoes, at the district, state, and national levels. In Plaquemine, she joined the Iberville Parish Council on Aging, where she met many dear friends.
Over the years, she also loved to read, watch old movies, attend musical productions, and play cards, dominoes, and Bingo. She taught her 13 grandchildren how to play these games, which became a favorite event at holiday gatherings or any time they visited “Granny.”
Barbara will be remembered best for her unwavering selfless dedication to her children and grandchildren (whom she adored), for her compassionate care as a nurse, for her volunteer service to numerous organizations, for her friendship to many, and for her quiet strength, resilience, and integrity. Her children will never forget all the sacrifices she made to build a loving, stable home for her family in the face of many hardships.
Barbara is survived by her seven children, Kathryn (Charles) Elkins, of Plaquemine, Karen Deniakos, of Laurel, Miss.; Kim Crouse, of Greensboro, N.C., Kerne Maurice Coreil Jr., of Huntersville, N.C., Kelly Coreil, of Baton Rouge, Kristine Coreil (Jeffrey Mathews), of McKinney, Texas, and Karla Coreil (Kevin Kuperman), of Baton Rouge; 13 grandchildren, Kathryn Elkins (Brendan Lovasik), Charles Elkins III, Lawrence Elkins, Jacob Deniakos (Diana Bozner), Armand Deniakos, Casey (Maggie) Crouse, Jack Crouse, Kerne (Kate-Lyne) Coreil III, Christian (Chelsea) Coreil, Christopher Coreil, Devon Mathews, Lauren Mathews, and Drew Alvarez; six great-grandchildren, Paige Lovasik, Matthew, Isabella, and Alexandra Deniakos, and Joseph and Landry Coreil; sister, Patsy (Keith) Burbank, of Norman, Okla.; brother-in-law, Robert Hand, of Baton Rouge; sister-in-law, Vivian Tsao, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; many extended family members; and her gigantic cat, Henry.
Please share online condolences at www.wilbertservices.com.
If desired, donations in Barbara’s memory may be made to St. John the Evangelist 100-Year Capital Campaign, 57805 Main Street, Plaquemine, LA 70764.