Valerian Edward Butler Smith III

Valerian Edward Butler Smith, III, known fondly as “Peppah,” departed this life on Friday, January 27, 2023, at University Medical Center New Orleans after a brief respiratory illness, ending a valiant seven year journey through the debilitating effects of an aortic rupture and subsequent anoxic brain injury in 2015. Through it all, his was an extraordinary life.

As one of Mr. Butler Smith’s former business partners recently said, “To talk about Peppah as an investment banker would do him such a disservice. It was business that brought us together but we did so much more than that because he knew so much and taught me so much. The breadth and depth of his knowledge and interests were truly other-worldly.” His life can justifiably be characterized as extraordinary because of the passion with which he pursued it and shared it.

He had the rare ability to pursue interests until they were passions until his knowledge became encyclopedic and execution prodigious. While an internationally-focused investment banker, playing the cello, riding horses, gardening, cooking, drawing, dancing, historic preservation, history, decorative and fine arts were passions for which he acquired great knowledge and proficiency.

Mr. Butler Smith was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on May 21, 1959 to Valeria Jean Butler and the late Dr. Valerian Edward Smith. He was educated in Baton Rouge through elementary school. Recognized as a prodigious cellist, performing the Saint-Seans cello concerto accompanied by the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra at twelve years old, he was encouraged to attend North Carolina School of the Arts. After several years there and studying summers in Sienna, Italy with Janos Starker, after being hand-selected by the famous cellist, he decided that finance would be his career and music his constant companion.

He returned to Baton Rouge, transferring to Catholic High School (Class of 1977), where he excelled academically and in Dramatic Arts, while resuming cello instruction with Thaddeus Brys. His first and only choice and only application for undergraduate study was Princeton University. He was accepted, majored in International Economics, and graduated Class of 1982. At Princeton, Mr. Butler Smith was a member of Ivy Club, First Chair of the Princeton Orchestra and Captain of the Equestrian Team.

After graduating, he began his career in finance in New Orleans, Louisiana, first at Howard, Weil, Labouisse, Friedrichs, Inc. and later was a co-founding partner of Washington, Hackett, Smith & Company, the “ground-breaking first minority-owned plan fiduciary pension consulting firm in the United States.” He relocated to New York as Vice President of First Capital Advisors, later founding investment banking, private investment management firm Ashland Capital Holdings. After many years, he transferred the company’s base of operations to Louisiana after returning to Baton Rouge.

A “Cradle Episcopalian,” Mr. Butler Smith was devoted to his faith and Anglicanism all his life. He served in many capacities in the Episcopal Diocese of New York and his New York City parish church, All Saints Episcopal, including Warden of the Vestry. After returning to Baton Rouge, his membership and participation in the life of St. James Episcopal Church was a source of great joy and fulfillment. As was his membership on the Princeton Board of Governors. This was the means by which, with his customary commitment and enthusiasm, he recruited regional students for acceptance to Princeton University, especially minority and underserved students, often mentoring them for as long as a year. He dedicated similar focus and energy to people of all ages, especially young people and particularly his nieces and nephew to whom he was passionately devoted. He considered it his duty to inspire and guide them to recognize and achieve the potential he always saw in them.

Mr. Butler Smith was preceded in death by his father, Dr. Valerian Edward Smith; his maternal grandparents, Dr. Leo Stanley Butler and Estelle Devall Butler; his paternal grandparents, Dr. Dennis Edward Smith and Willia Hundley Smith; aunt, Elayne Butler Bryant; and first cousin, William Carlton Washington, II. He is survived by his devoted mother, Valeria Jean Butler; sisters, Lynn Whitfield of Los Angeles, CA, Kimberleigh Butler-Smith Taylor, Shawne Langston Emery (Calvin), both of Baton Rouge; nieces, Victoria Holbrooke Langston, Elizabeth Ashland Langston of Baton Rouge, LA, Grace Victoria Gibson of New Orleans, LA, and nephew, Martin Andrew Langston of Baton Rouge; aunts Shirley Butler Pierce of Citrus Heights, CA, Hedi M. Butler of Baton Rouge, LA, Thelma Smith Williams of Grambling, LA; uncle Dr. D’Orsay Deavenport Bryant, Jr. (Kathy); cousins Dr. D’Orsay Deavenport Bryant, III (Karen), Sharon Bryant Zimmerman (James), Sherri Bryant-Moore, Leighton Butler Bryant, Duane D’Vaughn Pierce, Donna Pierce Lazarchick (Craig), Carla Washington Hines (Lovett), Alicia D. Williams, Alyson Williams Azodeh, Clifton Frederick Nelson, III; godson D’Orsay Deavenport Bryant, IV; Robert Tory Franklin; beloved caregiver Eric Todd McZeal and many extended, bereaved relatives.

Due to his beloved St. James being located on the Mardi Gras parade route and there are afternoon parades on February 11 and 18, Mr. Butler Smith’s funeral will take place at St. James Episcopal Church on Saturday, February 25, 2023. Visitation 10:00 am to 11:30 am followed by the funeral service at noon and interment at Roselawn Memorial Park.