SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Loraine Koury has served as a staple in the Westcott Community for nearly 40 years. Last month, the founder of Boom Babies passed away and left a lasting impact on those around her.
Boom Babies general manager, Mackenzie Wilkinson, mentioned that Koury would hire young women, who maybe didn’t know what they wanted to do or just needed a job. And she would give them the confidence and the push they needed to do more with their lives. She also mentioned that along with empowering her employees Koury truly cared about the surrounding area.
“She would go to town board meetings and fight for the Westcott Community and the business nearby,” Wilkinson Said.
As for Koury’s impact on her customers, Janice Margatelli says that Koury “was always smiling and was a staple in everybody’s life.”
Boom Babies has been bombarded with love notes and gifts for the late founder. Her funeral procession stopped by the store on the way to the funeral, and was met with dozens of people showing respect for such an amazing person.
Although Koury has passed, her employees are continuing to run the store in her honor. Boom Babies is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m., and is open on the weekends from 11 a.m.-6 a.m..
Jacob Goldberg: On a normal day, when you walk into Boom Babies on Westcott Street, You may tend to find items such as vintage clothing, jewelry, and dresses, but what you might not expect to find is a memorial to a beloved member of the Syracuse Community. Luraine Koury was the founder of Boom Babies and touched the lives of so many of her employees and customers.
Mackenzie Wilkinson: “She was intelligent, she was funny, and she just was quick on her feet”
Goldberg: That was the voice of General Manager Mckenzie Wilkinson. She says that those who worked with Koury were inspired to make change.
Wilkinson: “She would hire young women who maybe didn’t know what they wanted to do or just needed a job. And she would give them the confidence and the push they needed to do more with their lives.”
Goldberg: And although Koruy was beloved by those she worked with, Janice Margatelli says she also made a difference in the lives of her customers.
Margatelli: “She was always smiling and like I said she was a staple in everybody’s life”
Goldberg: Koury was a staple in the community and founded Boom Babies in 1986. She has served the community for so long, and now it is time for that same community to come to the business aid in their time of need.
Reporting from Westcott Street, Jacob Goldberg, NCC News.
