Obituary: Garment Manufacturer Saul Koral, 85
Saul Koral, who was well-known in the garment industry for his decades as a sewing contractor in the heart of the Los Angeles Fashion District, died on June 18 after a long illness. He was 85.
Koral was born in Krakow, Poland, on Sept. 17, 1924. He grew up in Poland. After World War II broke out, he spent five years in various concentration camps, from Treblinka in Poland to Buchenwald in Germany.
After the war, he married Hana Saltz, and they emigrated to Israel in 1948. In Israel, Koral worked for the state electricity company, and he fought in the Suez Crisis, a 1956 conflict between Britain, France and Israel against Egypt.
Koral and his family moved to Los Angeles in 1959, and his brother-in-law, Sam Wells, gave him a job as production manager at Wells’ sewing facility.
Later, Koral started his own garment contracting company, called Hana Sportswear, which operated for many years at 933 Wall St.
Koral’s garment genes were transferred to his sons, Peter and Richard Koral. Peter Koral was one of the co-founders of the Los Angeles premium-denim brand 7 For All Mankind, which was sold three years ago to VF Corp. Richard Koral has his own company, Richard Koral Inc., which sells off-price goods to retailers.
“My father was a very quiet, very humble person who was well-respected and was known for his integrity,” Richard Koral said.
Saul Koral is survived by his wife, Hana; two sons; daughter-in-law Cindy; and six grandchildren.
Services were held June 21 at Mount Sinai Memorial Park and Mortuary in Los Angeles.—Deborah Belgum
