Elsie Coston

Elsie (Martin) Coston was born on January 19th 1939, on the island of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the capital city of Kingstown in the eastern Caribbean. She was diagnosed with dementia in May 2021. Her condition worsened and she left us at 11AM on Friday November 7th , 2025 while in hospice care at Christiana Hospital, in Newark Delaware. She was 86 at the time of death. She was the oldest child of Marian Ragsdale who preceded her in death.

Elsie graduated from the Methodist School, which was one of the top public schools in the Saint Vincent School System. She came to the United States with her four siblings in 1961, where they settled in Philadelphia, PA. She lived in Philadelphia, and moved to New Castle, DE in 1994. She worked at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, before moving onto DuPont at the Grays Ferry Plant, before moving onto the DuPont Experimental Station in Wilmington, DE. She retired in 2010.

Elsie loved to cook and was very good at it, spending time with her family, friends, and neighbors. She lived a life defined by strength, honesty, love, and kindness. Truly a one-of-a-kind woman with a big heart and a loving spirit. She has often been described as the Rock of her family.

Elsie is survived by her husband Thomas Coston of 47 years. Sons Richard Martin, Carl Martin, siblings, Elsa Satchell, Vibert Martin, Claudette Martin, and Sally Martin, grand children, Tawona Martin, Richard Martin, Jr, and Warren Martin, great grand Jackson Thomas, daughter in law, Diane Martin, along with a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends who stayed the course until the very end.

She leaves behind a legacy in each heart she touched grounded in peace, love, and resilience. Elsie held a quiet and deep relationship with herself and god, a self-love that allowed her to give freely and fully to others. She embraced hope, optimism, and faith that things would always work out. Her presence taught strength without harshness, courage without noise, and softness without weakness. She walked with grace, and even in pain, she chose joy, courage, and kindness.

She was an angel on earth as she will be in heaven. Her love will forever be connected to us through memories, stories, laughter, and the strength she displayed. Her sense of humor, quiet strength, and unwavering love will be remembered by all who knew her. And while her physical journey has ended, her spirit rests in peace, free and whole, forever carried in the hearts of those she loved.