Martha Christoffel Boudreaux

Martha Nell Christoffel Boudreaux, resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, passed away on Thursday, December 14, 2017 at the age of 79. While she had been struggling with health issues for a little over 2 1/2 years, her death was sudden and unexpected. She was born in Crowley, La to the late Mafflin E. Christoffel, Jr. and the late Marjorie Chambers Christoffel.
Beloved wife of 57 years to Joseph Edes Boudreaux. Mother of Ryan Joseph Boudreaux (Monique) and Wanda Jean Boudreaux. Sister of the late Carolyn Christoffel . Grandmother of Benjamin Ryan Boudreaux and Louis William Boudreaux Heine. She is survived by many dear friends, relatives and colleagues. She was named for her Aunt Martha Chambers Frede and her late Aunt Nell Christoffel Gehrung. Her oldest surviving relative is her Uncle Charles Chambers.
Martha graduated from Pineville High School in Louisiana. She received a BS in Nursing from USL in Lafayette. She received a Masters of Nursing from the University of Mississippi in Jackson. Martha practiced Ob/Gyn and maternal/child health nursing for most of her career, of which she was dedicated to, and furthered her professional standing by becoming a Nurse Practitioner, a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Neonatal Nursing, an Inpatient Obstetric Nurse and a High Risk Perinatal Nurse. Her nursing career included being a public health nurse in Lafayette, Louisiana, an Ob/Gyn nurse at West Jefferson Hospital, a registered nurse in Urbana, Illinois, an Ob/Gyn nurse at Charity hospital, teacher of nursing at Charity School of Nursing, a founder of and primary care-giver for women at the neighborhood community based Helen Levy Clinic, which was a part of LSU Medical Center Dept of Ob/Gyn, under Dr. Joe Miller.
She served on many Boards and committees, and was a past President of the Louisiana Perinatal Association. Her awards and recognitions are too many to mention, and include a National Health Service Corps award for dedicating her professional life to improving the health of women and infants in Louisiana, as well as awards from the N.O. District Nurses Association, the International Honor Society of Nursing Epsilon Nu Chapter, the March of Dimes, the La. Perinatal Assoc. and Charity Hospital Division of Nursing Education. She has been published in numerous professional journals.
Martha was a force of life and energy. She had a keen intellect and was always thinking, was a voracious reader, avid bridge player and loved to watch Jeopardy. She was a long time member of the First Unitarian Universalist Church in Uptown New Orleans. Martha enjoyed many things with her husband and life partner, Joe, including the love of Cajun dancing, traveling, taking treks to go bird watching, sitting with her cats, walking her dogs, walking in nature, and being with family and friends. She particularly enjoyed keeping an eye out for the yearly return of eagles to a nest in a cypress tree near their home in Algiers. She was a community activist, (always picked up litter!), and was always striving for social equity. She is greatly missed.
Relatives and Friends of the Family are invited to attend the Memorial Service at First Unitarian Universalist Church, 5212 S. Claiborne Ave. (at Jefferson Ave.), New Orleans, LA on Saturday, February 17, 2018 from 3 PM until 5 PM. In lieu of flowers please donate to the March of Dimes, a charity that was dear to Martha's heart, visit https://www.marchofdimes.org .