Louise Coffey-Webb, generally known as Loulou, who died suddenly on July 3rd was born in Manchester, England and brought up in Berkhamsted, a town near London, the second of three children.
Very bright but not particularly academic in her early years, she started working for BBC radio after leaving school and quickly became an effective production assistant in radio drama and documentaries.
In 1978 she met a young American actor, script writer and comedian who was working in London. They married in summer 1979 and Loulou came to live in Hollywood, the first of many homes in greater LA.
Here she caught up with her academic education, collecting a BA and MA from Antioch University and then put her fascination and love for costume, textiles, fashion history and the arts to use in a series of interesting roles.
Her career included working for the costume departments of Warner Bros. and Sony, being Collections Manager at LACMA, a Curator and Assistant Professor at Woodbury University, and a Project Manager for the James G. Galanos Foundation. For the last five years or so she was an inspired and committed Collections Manager for the Culver City Art in Public Places Program. During her career she also held down many more voluntary positions, board memberships and advisory roles too numerous to mention.
She is the author of Managing Costume Collections and the famous little red book of Culver City’s Art in Public Places.
Loulou’s passing is mourned by an enormous circle of friends, enthusiasts, colleagues and ex-colleagues both here and in the United Kingdom. She had no children and her marriage did not last, but she created an international family of those inspired by her expertise, her love of company, her empathy with others and her unconquerable sense of fun.
Alex Webb
LouLou was a very good friend who I first met as a child in 1961 in England when my husband and I were staying in London for work. My husband Bill Bowers was writing a screenplay for a film that was to be shot there. We were good friends with her aunt Sylvia Syms and her whole family.
When she first moved to Los Angeles we renewed our friendship and kept in touch closely for many years. I was proud to watch her career blossom and succeed in a field she loved.
As time passed we saw each other less often but stayed in touch. I loved the tea parties she held in her backyard when her mom Joan came for visits.
I knew she had health issues along the way but could never have guessed they would become so serious.
I am so sad to learn of her passing and will truly miss her.
We will miss you so very much dear LouLou you have left us too soon, Poppy was excited to show your her vintage Prom dress in August but we happy to know you will be having a G&T with Nick, Kay, Joan and Norman at Heaven’s Grotto in the Stars. Thank you for many years of giggles, thrifting treasures and a wonderful friendship, I remember Sylvia insisting I look you up in LA as she knew we’d get on so well how right she was 32 years ago. So now I say goodbye, you will be very missed…till we meet again at the Big Thrift Store in the Sky…all our love and to you Alex, Regina and your lovely girls xx Mark, Krissie and Poppy xx
I send my deepest heart felt sympathy to the family of Louise. It was a pure and unbelievable shock to me. I had been intending to text her so many times and kept putting it off.
My husband and I were thrilled to have her expertise with cataloging the Galanos clothes that were in storage. Although we were not on “Lou Lou” terms like some of you above, we still had lots of laughs with her. Her personality was just delightful so it could not be helped. It was a pleasure to have known and to have admired her. I am so, so sorry for all the family during what is a very shocking and difficult time.
I’m shocked!I just saw her at last month’s Cultural Affairs meeting, smiling big as ever–she was always kind to me, and she will never be forgotten for that
I spent 2 years with Dolly and cherish every moment, the good and the bad parts that are my dearest memories and daily I miss her. I like to think of her as DollySatva because I know how much she loved the Dalai Lama and Buddhism. She will be in my heart alive and well always…
I just learned about Louise’s passing and am shocked. My Mom was a volunteer at the Natural History Museum where she met Louise. I heard so many lovely stories about Louise and was very happy when I finallY met her at one of my Mom’s Christmas Eve parties. She taught us all how the English pull Christmas crackers. She was a delight and fun.