Leona K. Hamilos, nee Mateyka, 93, of Glen Carbon passed away on Tuesday, October 9, 2018, at Eden Village Care Center surrounded by her loved ones.  She was born on February 5, 1925, in Glen Carbon, the daughter of Joseph and Katherine (Watsek) Mateyka.  She married the love of her life, Nick J. Hamilos on June 21, 1947, at the old St. Mary Catholic Church in Edwardsville.

Leona graduated from Edwardsville High School in 1942 and went to work as a civilian employee at the Granite City Army Depot as a chauffeurette.  Leona had a beautiful voice.  On occasions she would sing with Tony Di Pardo at the Jefferson Hotel in St. Louis and with the Walt Schlemer Orchestra.  In 1953 she joined her husband and brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Chris and Ann Hamilos, at Hamilos Brothers Meat Company in Madison as secretary/bookkeeper.  She enjoyed her career until retirement in 1990.

The Mateyka family was one of the founding families of St. Cecilia's Catholic Church in Glen Carbon.  Leona was the oldest original member in attendance on the church's 90th birthday on August 28, 2016.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, three brothers, Raymond, Joseph and Leo, and two sisters, Dorothy Altefogt and infant Margaret Mateyka.

She is survived by her daughter, Diane (Joe) Semanisin of Maryville; son, Dan (Sue) Hamilos of Medfield, MA; five grandchildren Vicki (Tom) Fuhrhop of Troy, Mike (Kim) Semanisin of Edwardsville, Andrea (Adam) Wasem of Chicago, Paul (Heather) Hamilos of Dublin, CA, and Allison Hamilos of Cambridge, MA; four great grandchildren, Brett Conway of Cottonwood, AZ, Nicole Conway of Troy, Parker Hamilos of Dublin, CA, and Christian Wasem of Chicago, IL; sisters-in-law, Eileen Mateyka, Katherine Butkovich, Dorothy Hamilos, and Mary Grace Hohn.

In celebration of her life, visitation will be from 9am until time of Mass of Christian Burial at 11am on Friday, October 12, 2018 at St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Glen Carbon, IL.  Father Patrick Gibbons will be the celebrant. Burial will follow at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Edwardsville, IL.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Hospice of Southern Illinois or Masses at St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Glen Carbon.