The northshore art community and Inside Northside have suffered a tragic loss with the passing of Cherry Hall Roussel. Our featured cover artist for December/January 2004, Cherry lost her battle with cancer and passed away on June 14.

Cherry was a frequent and welcome visitor to the Inside Northside offices. Although seriously ill, she never wanted to burden anyone with any sign of self pity. Instead, Cherry was a joy and inspiration to everyone she met, as she had been throughout her life.

Cherry made the lives of untold thousands better through her art. Among her many gifts were her enthusiasm for teaching and her encouragement of others to express themselves through their own art. Cherry’s proudest accomplishment as a teaching artist was the establishment of children’s art programs in the Jefferson Parish School System and in the City of Kenner’s Rivertown District.

Cherry Roussel was a beautiful woman who gave generously of herself to make the lives of everyone who met her more beautiful. We share with the Roussel and Hall families in the loss of this kind woman who gave us all so much.

“I’m thankful for the encouragement my husband has given me ever since I started painting. He has been such a blessing to me. I’m so glad that I started my art career while I was still teaching instead of waiting until I retired. So many people say they want to paint after they retire. My advice is to start now – why rob yourself of a joy in life?”

— Cherry Hall Roussel, in an interview for Inside Northside, October 19, 2003