Barry Hawkins Custer  
Beloved husband of Cynthia Evans and father of Langley Skye Custer, departed December 31, 2018. He was 75. A long-time resident of Washington, DC, he was born on December 13, 1943, in Miami, Florida, to Rear Adm. Benjamin Scott Custer and Elizabeth Hawkins Custer - later residents of Rye, New York, who predeceased him in death. A graduate of Philips Exeter Academy, Barry received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Harvard College and his JD degree from Columbia Law School. In addition to his legal work with Coudert Brothers in New York City, he was a professor of English at Inter American University of Puerto Rico, and a photographic archivist at the Smithsonian Institution Archives. In recent years, he volunteered at the National Archives organizing Civil War and Office of Strategic Services records.Thoughtful in action and deed, Barry had a unique way of quietly helping those in need. He took a genuine interest in the lives of others and had an abiding Christian faith.Friends appreciated his expansive knowledge and appreciation of visual art, artifacts, literature and film. Over the years, he amassed a large personal collection of small paintings, etchings and drawings and enjoyed giving them to family and colleagues as gifts. A dedicated correspondent, Barry also will be remembered for his singular letters, typically typed on a vintage typewriter and posted with colorful, unusual stamps. In addition to his wife and son, Barry is survived by siblings, Scott Custer, of Washington, DC, and Valldemossa, Spain, Carson Custer Taylor (John) of Boulder, Colorado, and Penelope Custer of New York City. We will miss Barry's loving and steadfast presence in our lives.A funeral service will be held on Thursday, January 10 at 11 a.m. at All Souls Episcopal Church in Washington, DC.