Elizabeth "Betty" Johnson Constantin

Elizabeth “Betty” Johnson Constantin passed away peacefully on April 21, 2025. She is survived by her daughters Lisette Constantin (M. Lee Page, Jr) and Nicole Constantin Sellers (David); her grandchildren Mason Page, Simone Page, Ian Sellers, and Alec Sellers; her daughter-in-law Kathy Young; and many nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her son Christopher Armand Constantin, her husband Roland Paul Constantin, her brothers Stephen Johnson Jr. and Robert Johnson, and her parents Stephen Johnson Sr. and Honora C. Burke.

Elizabeth was born June 1, 1930, in New Orleans. While she was known as Betty, she also earned the family nickname “Champ” when she won the Most Beautiful Baby in New Orleans contest in 1932. Betty was a beloved child in a large family of Irish and German immigrants. She was hard-working and valued education. She graduated from Loyola University in 1952 and immediately began her life-long career in teaching.

While at Loyola she met Roland after he returned from deployment in World War 2. They married on December 29, 1954, and were nearly inseparable for their 62 years on earth together. They are reunited now for their next grand adventure. Betty and Roland had 3 children in 17 years, and as teachers, they enriched the lives of hundreds of young people.

Betty taught at the Academy of the Sacred Heart for over 20 years, mostly in lower school Religion first with Sr. Elia Torian and then with Bonnie Talbot. Life in the lower school Religion room was a place of warmth, comfort, and creativity. From Rosy Posy stories, tissue paper butterflies, dressing up as Saints, and using red hots to represent holy spirit, her students developed a faith rooted in love. Most importantly, they learned that they were loved and how to love others.

Betty was an avid environmentalist who adored being in nature and spent as much time as she could in National Parks or just on the lakefront watching the sunset. She served on the New Orleans Parkway Commission and helped start the Audubon Nature Center in New Orleans East. She began Earth Day celebrations at Sacred Heart, and she spread her love of the natural world to anyone who spent time with her. She loved bird watching, collecting beautiful shells and stones, and pointing out the constellations.

She had a deep faith and a beautiful welcoming spirit that inspired others to recognize both the humanity and the divinity each of us. She is remembered as inclusive, empathetic, and encouraging especially in times when it was needed most. She was a light in a sometimes dark world, and she always reminded us to “let our light shine” for it will make the world a kinder and more loving place.

A Celebration of Betty’s Life will be held on Saturday, May 31st at Academy of the Sacred Heart Chapel, 4521 St Charles Avenue. Visitation will be 10am-11:30am and service at 11:30am. Because Betty was such a Jazz Fest fan, please wear a Jazz Fest/Hawaiian shirt or any bright color to the celebration. A mass in her honor will be at her long-time parish, St. Dominic’s, at 10:30am on June 1st (Betty’s 95th birthday).

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the local non-profit soulnola.org (Sustaining Our Urban Landscape) dedicated to improving our community through planting trees and reducing stormwater runoff, pollution, air temperatures, and subsidence.