Candy Ray Lynn Wiltz Cotton

Kinder-Funeral service honoring Emilie Marcantel Coulter, 71, will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday afternoon, August 6, 2026, at Ardoin/Allen Parish Funeral Home of Kinder. Rev. Alan Trouille will officiate. Emilie will be laid to rest at McRill Cemetery in Kinder immediately following her services.

Emilie’s family will receive friends and visitors at Ardoin/Allen Parish Funeral Home of Kinder on Thursday morning, August 6, 2026, from 11 o’clock a.m. until time of service. All of Emilie’s arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Ardoin/Allen Parish Funeral Home of Kinder.

Emilie Marcantel was born at home in Kinder, Louisiana, the third child of Beatrice and William Marcantel. From the very beginning, she was the cherished center of her parents’ love and hopes, and her life far surpassed anything they could have imagined. She married Edgar Barrilleaux while pursuing her bachelor’s degree at McNeese University. She later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education and a Master of Social Work from LSU. For the past 44 years, Emilie was married to Dr. W. Alan Coulter, and together they shared four children, six grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren. Emilie dedicated her professional life to service. Her career included work as a social work supervisor for the Louisiana Department of Family Services, a school social worker for St. Mary Parish Schools, and State Supervisor of School Social Work for the Louisiana Department of Education. While at the Louisiana Department of Education, she also served as Coordinator for the Comprehensive System of Personnel Development and as a lead consultant for the School Principals Academy. She was a national consultant and co-developed *Rights Without Labels* with the National Association of Social Workers, the National Association of School Psychologists, and the National Coalition of Advocates for Children. She also co-developed an intervention for struggling students and trained more than 1,500 educators in Pennsylvania. Emilie loved to travel and visited Europe every year for the past 15 years. Her travels took her as far west as Istanbul, Turkey, and as far east as Taipei, Taiwan. She enjoyed fine wine, dining, and desserts, but above all, she treasured her family. She was the loving matriarch of a large, active, and deeply cherished family. She is survived by her husband, Dr. W. Alan Coulter; sons, Jerry and Chris; daughters, Mary Kathryn and Stephaney; grandchildren, Cara Lynn, Madison Elizabeth, Travis Owen, Calli Marie, Bo Michael, and Emilie Annette; 12 great-grandchildren; and many dear friends and colleagues.

Emilie is preceded in death by one brother, David Marcantel; and one sister, Inez Wallace.

Condolences and expressions of sympathy may be shared with Emilie’s family at www.ardoinfuneralhome.com or on Facebook-Ardoin/Allen Parish Funeral Homes.