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Elizabeth Ann Hudson, 20, was suddenly taken from this earth to be with her Lord and Savior on Friday April 11, 2008 at 11:22 a.m. A graduate of East Jefferson High School and currently a student at U. N. O. A native of New Orleans and a resident of Metairie.
Beloved daughter of Leigh Hudson Smith and Patrick Johnsen. Step daughter of Kelly Smith and Miss Shannon. Stepsister of Curtis Smith, Chrissy Jaynes, Darryl Crespo and Nicholas Crespo. Granddaughter of Clifton Hudson. Companion of Kenny Harris. Also survived by numerous Aunts, Uncles and cousins.
Preceded in death by her maternal grandmother, Ann Hudson.
Elizabeth affected the lives of all who knew her and will be remembered for her passion for life in the hearts of everyone who knew her….she will be sadly missed.
The relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the funeral service on Friday April 18, 2008 at 2 p.m. in THE GARDEN OF MEMORIES FUNERAL HOME CHAPEL with burial in the Garden of Memories Cemetery. Visitation will be on Friday from 11 a.m. till time of services on Friday. For more information please call (504) 833-3786. Please visit the online obituary and guestbook at www.mem.com.


When Elizabeth Ann Hudson walked into the room, those in her company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Elizabeth was and how she impacted those around her. Elizabeth was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Elizabeth wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Elizabeth was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve her well throughout her life.

Elizabeth was born on May 20, 1987 at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was the daughter of Leigh Hudson Smith and Patrick Johnsen. Elizabeth was raised in Metairie, Louisiana. Always at the ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Elizabeth might describe her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that Elizabeth was always in pursuit of life's endless possibilities and opportunities available to her.

She was an only child, but had three stepbrothers, Darryl Crespo, Nicholas Crespo and Curtis Smith and one stepsister, Chrissy Jaynes. Elizabeth was very accepting and supportive of her family. She was perceived as the central person in her family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Elizabeth was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Elizabeth well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her.

As a young girl, Elizabeth was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew her into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Elizabeth was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with her peers. She was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. In her spare time she liked listening to music, spending time on MySpace and anything creative. She loved taking pictures and making collages. Elizabeth's memorable achievements included superior achievement and excellence with her school work. She was very intelligent and proud of herself. Elizabeth had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity she and the many childhood friends she shared might discover.

During her high school years, Elizabeth responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. She graduated from East Jefferson High School in 2005. Elizabeth was a very good student, and generally did well in her courses. Elizabeth absorbed as much as she could from all of her teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using her imagination to master her assignments. For Elizabeth, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to her ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Elizabeth a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to her to discuss just about anything.

Elizabeth did well in college, as a result of her comfort level with tackling new theories and her love of learning. She was working on her undergraduate studies at University of New Orleans. Her favorite courses were Psychology and Sociology. She would always share with me what she was learning and how it was so interesting to her. Elizabeth was very adaptable, a quality that helped her make the transition from high school to college with little difficulty. As a result, Elizabeth's problem solving skills and thirst for new knowledge almost guaranteed that she enjoyed virtually every class she took. Elizabeth was always in quest of new things to learn and experience

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought her an endless stream of friends, Elizabeth was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Elizabeth was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. She always seemed aware of what was going on with people around her and throughout her life she made many, many friends. While growing up, some of her best friends were Briana and Lyricka. Later in life, she became friends with Kristi Leclere, Joey Stanley, Albert Glaudi, Marcella, Raven Decker and many more.

Because Elizabeth loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, she took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were photography, school, anything creative. Elizabeth had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. However, Elizabeth's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Elizabeth was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith. She was a Christian. She was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and she used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for her beliefs.

Elizabeth's love of improvising in her daily life was a perfect fit for her enjoyment of traveling. Her favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit her personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Elizabeth took her vacations seriously, well, as seriously as she possibly could. Favorite vacations included her senior trip to Cancun with her boyfriend, Kenny Harris, and very close friend, Albert Glaudi.

Elizabeth was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. Tigger, an orange tabby cat., was a best friend for 5 years. Her family was rounded out by her other cat, Bubbles, and all of her mother's cats, Cheeto, Gizmo, Billy, Bob, and Duke.

Elizabeth Hudson passed away on April 11, 2008 at University Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana. Elizabeth suddenly died of a brain hemorrhage. She is survived by her mother, Leigh Hudson Smith; her father, Patrick Johnsen; her stepfather, Kelly Smith; her stepmother, Shannon Crespo; her stepbrothers, Darryl Crespo, Nicholas Crespo, Curtis Smith; and her stepsister, Chrissy Jaynes; her aunts, Terri Spillman and Susan Verges; her cousins, Valerie Durapau, Shane Hudson, Shawn Ebert, Dino Palazzolo, Jr., and Joshua Verges; second cousin, Elijah Hudson. Services were held at Garden of Memories Funeral Home. Elizabeth was laid to rest in Garden of Memories Cemetery.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Elizabeth. She was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Elizabeth Hudson for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Elizabeth was always more than willing to share life's experiences with her loved ones.