Death of loyal friend and generous Elon benefactor Maurice Koury

Maurice John Koury, a prominent Burlington, N.C., businessman and a generous supporter of Elon, passed away March 7. He was the recipient of an Elon honorary doctorate and was a passionate advocate for higher education and college athletics through his association with Elon and his alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Koury is survived by his wife, Ann, his sisters Salve Koury Bolus and Pauline Koury Akras, and his brother Ernest Koury, who was his business partner in Carolina Hosiery Mills, Inc. A funeral mass will be held for Mr. Koury at 11 a.m., Friday, March 11, at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 1620 Hanford Rd. Graham, N.C. A visitation will be held at the church from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, with a Christian Wake Service scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

“Maurice was a beloved friend of Elon with a heart of gold,” said Elon University President Leo M. Lambert. “He did so much good for this community, quietly and behind the scenes, and he will be deeply missed. Maurice and his brother, Ernest, were among Elon’s first major benefactors, and the facilities that they made possible on this campus have shaped the education of thousands of students. We will forever be in his debt, and his passing leaves an empty space in our hearts.”

Maurice Koury was instrumental in the construction of Elon’s Ernest A. Koury Sr. Business Center, making a major gift for the project in honor of his brother. Ernest attended Elon and was a trustee from 1976 to 1996. Maurice graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill and later served eight years there as a trustee. He was the recipient of the UNC Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1994, and several facilities at UNC are named in his honor. He played a major role in securing funding for the Dean E. Smith Center and the Koury Natatorium adjacent to the Smith Center is named in his honor. Koury served two terms as president of the UNC Educational Foundation; under his stewardship, the foundation built one of the nation’s largest privately funded endowments for athletics scholarships.

In 2001, both Maurice and Ernest Koury were awarded Elon honorary doctorates at a convocation headlined by former President George H.W. Bush. Maurice’s citation was read by legendary Tar Heel basketball coach Dean Smith. Maurice was also the recipient of Elon’s Frank S. Holt Jr. Business Leadership Award, honoring his success in the textile industry along with business interests in the development of hotels, motels and shopping malls.

Maurice and the Koury family have made several major contributions to Elon, funding construction of the Koury Field House and the building’s renovation and expansion in 2014. The family also provided funding for the original renovation of Alumni Gymnasium in 1994 and Maurice provided annual gifts in support of Elon’s basketball program. He also provided support for numerous Elon scholarships throughout the years.

Maurice was also a devout advocate for his Catholic faith and the local Blessed Sacrament Church and School. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh has honored him with the Bishop F. Joseph Gossman Award for extraordinary service to Catholic education.