Audrey Coustaut Smith

Peacefully, on July 9, 2023 in Fort Washington, MD, Audrey passed on to her eternal rest. Born on December 13, 1923 in New Orleans, Louisiana to Emile Joseph Coustaut, Sr. and Sylvia Bertha Wainie, she was the eldest of five children. After spending most of her life in her birth city, Audrey relocated to Maryland in 2005. She was baptized at Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church and would later be married there. Audrey attended Valena C. Jones Elementary School and graduated from McDonogh 35 High School. After high school, Audrey attended Straight Business College, studied bookkeeping, and later clerked at LaBranche Drugstore and Keystone Life Insurance Company. Additionally, she was a secretary and substitute teacher at her daughters’ elementary school. Audrey married Manuel John (Bill) Smith in 1946, and they remained married for 44 years until the date of his passing. To their union were born three daughters, Karen, Stephanie, and Maureen, thus beginning their legacy. Together Audrey and Bill built their home on Lamanche Street in 1949, where they lived throughout their marriage and raised their daughters. She and Bill helped to build St. David Elementary School, by hand, and also purchased bricks which became part of its original foundation. St. David is where their daughters and grandsons attained their elementary education. During the 1960s when voting rights were granted to African-Americans, individuals would call at her home and she would sit with them and assist in completing the required voter registrations, advising them also what would be asked of them in order to register. Her passions included raising her children and grandchildren, cooking excellent meals for family and friends, sewing, flower gardening, and later in life – researching genealogy. She did extensive family history research starting in the 1980s and has built a foundation and legacy which continues to this day. Audrey was preceded in death by her parents Emile and Sylvia Coustaut; husband Manuel (Bill) Smith; four siblings Emile Joseph Coustaut, Jr.; Alverez Zachary Coustaut; Lynell Coustaut Bocage and Donald Valentine Coustaut; niece Simone S. Coustaut; son-in-law Clarence J. Edwards, Jr.; and great-grandchildren Sebastian and Yvonne Edwards. She is survived by her three daughters, Karen Smith Edwards (the late Clarence Jr.), Stephanie Smith Brown (Terence), and Dr. Maureen Smith Wright (Gregory); three grandchildren David A. Edwards, Sr. (Stephanie), Steven J. Edwards (Dr. Akita Evans), and Jessica C. Wright-Winfield (Jay); five great-grandchildren: Benjamin A., Grayson B., Audrey C., Elliott J., and David A. (Jr) Edwards, four nieces Brenda C. Dennis, Gail C. DeGruy, Tania C. Miles and Vanessa M. Johnson; great nephews Ralph E. Dennis, Milton J. Coulon, and Wesley L. Allen; great niece Shantelle M. Miles; cousins Carmen Coustaut and Helena W. Honor; grand-goddaughter Donna Person-Taylor, a devoted friend Alicia Ferguson, and numerous other relatives and friends. The family is especially grateful to the personnel at the Fort Washington Health Center where she resided for many years. All friends and family are invited to attend the Mass of Christian Burial at St. David Catholic Church, 5617 St. Claude Ave., New Orleans, LA at 10:00 am on Wednesday, July 26, 2023. Visitation from 9:00 am to 10:00 am. Very Rev. Oswald P. Pierre-Jules, Jr. SSJ officiating. Interment at Mount Olivet Cemetery, 4000 Norman Mayer Boulevard, New Orleans, LA 70122. Arrangements entrusted to D.W. Rhodes Funeral Home, 3933 Washington Ave., New Orleans, LA and Huntt Funeral Home, 3035 Old Washington Rd., Waldorf, MD.