This Fort Worth Latina businesswoman blazed a trail in the man’s world of tailoring.

Eight-year-old Maria de la Luz Maldonado Gasca (Lucy) boarded a Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Co. bus from South Fort Worth Elementary School in 1943 to sew military uniforms in factories. A quick learner with nimble hands, she excelled at all sewing machines.

The Fort Worth-born Lucy worked for several men’s clothing retailers, but discovered male tailors were intimidated by her fitting and sewing skills. At the last men’s store she worked for, the master tailor convinced the owner that customers preferred a man to complete the fitting. After Lucy taught him how to fit, she was confined to the back. When the master tailor sexually harassed her, she quit and opened Coronado Tailoring Store with $100 on Jan. 26, 1968. Within the first week, she had accounts with Body and Soul, Lady Oxford Shop, Gina’s and Cox’s.

She and her husband Robert Coronado, born in Arlington, were welcomed by the predominately Jewish business owners on West Berry. The business owners mentored them on financial management and business operations, and advised to gird for the hate and how to respond. Their store suffered two robberies, losing $50,000 in merchandise, flooding, fire damage, and a warning written on the building to go back to their country. When they expanded to retailing, offering quick, one-stop alteration, a visitor told them to confine their work to tailoring.

Although Lucy was the driving force behind the business, banks and the city recognized the tailoring store only when her husband signed as co-owner. For several years, banks refused to open an account, but a Safeway store manager secretly cashed their checks.

Despite the challenges, the business thrived through word-of-mouth as customers such as Lea Dance Center, Casa Mañana, Neiman Marcus, Fort Worth Department of Transportation, and others sought out Coronado’s quality work. Lucy, aware of the dearth of women’s business wear, expanded this line of suits and dresses. When Susan Nix was selected as chairwoman of programs and pairing for the Colonial Country Club PGA tournament, Lucy created a female cut of the traditional red plaid jacket.

Lucy and other Latinas formed the Fort Worth chapter of the Hispanic Women’s Network in 1987 to assert their career interests. They met at Pulido’s restaurant on Saturday mornings to discuss leadership, professional and business opportunities. She developed fashion shows to raise money for Lena Pope Home and Samaritan House.

Lucy readily shared her knowledge of tailoring, teaching at TCU and Rosemont Community School. In exchange for teaching at Rosemont, she and her husband earned their GEDs. She encouraged others to open their own businesses, bringing her children into the trade. A favorite saying of hers was, “There is enough for everyone.”

When her kidneys failed in 2003, she experienced the humiliation of patients sitting in dialysis exposed to one another. She and her son Tony designed a dialysis pants and jacket outfit that preserved the patients’ dignity, and marketed the garb throughout the state. Lucy exceeded the doctor’s prognosis of two months life expectancy by 16 and a half years.

Despite avoiding the spotlight, she received numerous accolades, including the Outstanding Women of Texas award, presented by Gov. Ann Richards. She also was nominated in 2010 for the Latina Living Legend award by the Hispanic 100 for her entrepreneurship.

Lucy died on Dec. 4, 2019, leaving a family business that flourished through her well-taught lessons of courage, skill, and determination.

Author Richard J. Gonzales writes and speaks about Fort Worth, national and international Latino history.