In Loving Memory of Anna Cossey Broussard

Some lives are remembered for remarkable achievements. Others are remembered for the remarkable way they loved.

Anna Cossey Broussard belonged to the latter as a gentle, loving, and artistic woman.

Anna passed peacefully on July 29, 2026, at the age of 84, in Morgan City, Louisiana, with her devoted caregiver, Bobbie Ruffin, keeping watch by her side. In the days leading up to her passing, she was surrounded by the love of family who gathered from Louisiana, South Carolina, and Colorado, to spend precious time with her.

Anna was born on January 4, 1942, in Wichita Falls, Texas. At the age of ten, her family moved to Franklin, Louisiana. While attending Franklin High School, she met George E. Broussard whom she called the love of her life. They married in 1962 and together raised three children. Though their paths diverged, the 35 years of marriage they shared shaped the foundation of Anna's family and many of her happiest memories.

During the early years of their marriage, Anna worked as a legal secretary in New Orleans while George attended Loyola University School of Dentistry. When they settled along Bayou Teche in South Louisiana, Anna embraced it wholeheartedly. The quiet bayou waters, moss-draped oaks, generous neighbors, and joyful Cajun traditions became the backdrop of a life she loved.

Anna devoted herself to her family with unwavering love and quiet strength. She found great joy in creating lasting memories for her children, especially during summer days on the bayou, where she delighted in taking them - and their friends - water-skiing behind the family fishing boat. Whether cheering from the sidelines of a ballgame, encouraging the study of piano, listening proudly to a trombone recital, joining fishing trips, or spending long days shrimping on the water, she found genuine happiness in the interests and accomplishments of those she loved. She never sought recognition for herself. Seeing others flourish was enough.

Her home on Bayou Teche reflected that generous spirit. It was a place where family and friends gathered often, where holidays became traditions, and where others were always welcome. Among the friendships she treasured most were those she shared with beloved neighbors, Harry and Connie McHugh, whose companionship enriched her life for many years.

Music was woven into every season of Anna's life. As a little girl, relatives delighted in her beautiful singing voice and would happily pay her to sing. She studied voice at Louisiana College, in Pineville, Louisiana, before lending her rich alto-soprano voice to the choir at Atkinson Memorial Presbyterian Church and to the Tune Weavers of Morgan City. She was also an accomplished pianist whose love of piano playing never diminished. Under the instruction of renowned Madelyn P. Trible in Lafayette, Louisiana, she continued to grow as a musician while sharing that gift with children and adult piano students of her own. Opera and symphonic music remained lifelong passions that brought her inspiration and joy.

Anna was proud of her Native American ancestry, with roots in Oklahoma and Texas. She found meaning in Native American spirituality and remained fascinated by astrology, seeing in both a reminder that life is connected to something larger than ourselves, appreciating the beauty, mystery, and interconnectedness of the universe. She approached the world with wonder and an open heart.

Anna’s passions also included poetry, painting and the arts. She cherished the written word, both as a reader and writer, finding a special joy in the rhythm, reflection, and beauty that poetry offered. Through poetry, she expressed her creativity, sensitivity, and the way she noticed and appreciated life’s small and meaningful moments. Her appreciation for language reflected her thoughtful nature and her deep curiosity about the world around her.

Those who knew Anna will remember her gentleness before anything else. She possessed the rare ability to make people feel accepted without judgment, encouraged without pressure, and loved without condition. Her kindness was quiet, but its influence was lasting. She leaves behind a legacy measured not by possessions or accomplishments, but by the lives she made richer simply by loving them well.

Anna is survived by her daughter, Dr. Dana L. Broussard and her husband, Jeff Newton; her son, Dr. Charles H. Broussard and his wife, Stephanie Lewko Broussard; her grandsons, Landon C. Broussard and Lane M. Broussard; her sister, Patsy Y. Cossey; her brother, Dana L. Cossey and his wife, Rebecca W. Cossey; nieces and nephew. Anna is preceded in death by her parents, I Lee and Shirley Cossey, her son George Dane Broussard, her brother Charles Timothy Cossey, and her former husband and father of her children, Dr. George E. Broussard.

The family finds comfort in knowing that Anna's gentle spirit lives on in every melody she shared, every kindness she extended, every tradition she began, and every person fortunate enough to have been loved by her. She lived a life not perfect but remarkably profound.

Anna’s inurnment and Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 am central on Friday, August 28, 2026 at Berwick Garden Crypt Memorial, Berwick, Louisiana.

Anna’s love endures—in the family she nurtured, the students she taught, the music she shared, the friendships she treasured, and the countless quiet kindnesses that became the true work of her life.

One of Anna’s favorite passages, shared often, by T. S. Eliot: We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we began and to know the place for the first time.