Obituary of Dorothy Kathleen Hughes

Kathleen Hughes, age 88, of Chapel Hill, NC entered Heaven’s gates on April 12, 2019. A loving wife and mother, Kathleen was born in Princess Anne, MD to Frank and Dorothy Fitzgerald on May 23, 1930. Kathleen was a graduate of Princess Anne High School, where she received the Old Home award. She attended State Teacher’s College in Salisbury Maryland (now Salisbury State University), where she received several achievement awards, and where she met and married her classmate Elmer G. Hughes, who had just served in the U.S. Army Air Corp.

Kathleen and family moved to Chapel Hill, NC in 1953. During this time Kathleen worked full time as an administrative assistant in the offices of Colonial Press and Colonial Records. She delighted in her job which included proofreading for the newspaper and promotion of records, with Andy Griffith, Dizzy Dean, George Hamilton IV and others cutting their first recordings while she was there.  Kathleen also was an active den mother in cub scouts and very active in the local Methodist Church and its youth fellowship program. 

In 1957 Kathleen and the family moved back to Maryland, where they eventually settled in the town of La Plata. Throughout these years Kathleen was a busy mom to her 3 sons and active in cub scouts, boy scouts, little league, PTA, the high school bands and glee clubs, and the local Methodist churches. In La Plata, Kathleen took courses at Charles County Community College and taught part time in the local grade schools.  .

In 1970 Kathleen and family moved back to Chapel Hill, NC, where Kathleen completed her bachelor’s degree in education at the University of North Carolina with highest distinctions and membership in the honor society of Phi Beta Kappa.  Following her graduation at age 39, she taught primary grades, mainly first grade, for 24 years at Central Elementary in Hillsborough, NC. She was a remarkable elementary school teacher and the recipient of numerous awards over the course of her enjoyable teaching career, including regional Teacher-of-the-Year. Kathleen retired in 1995, and, for many years leading up to her passing, she enjoyed her participation in the Alpha Delta Kappa sorority, serving as president and holding other offices.  Elmer retired from the US Air Force Active Reserve in 1976.

Kathleen is survived by her loving husband of 71 years Elmer G. Hughes age 98, and her 3 sons: Elmer (Julie), Patrick (Will), and Jeffrey (Nikki).  She is also survived by her granddaughter Lola Hughes, her former daughter-in-law Debra Jo Hughes, her brothers William and Robert Fitzgerald, her sisters-in-law Kathy Holloway and Carolyn Fitzgerald; her nieces Marilyn, Jeannie, and Sheila (John); her nephew Jack; and her many grandnieces and grandnephews including Jacqueline, Amber, Gabriel, Joseph, Benjamin, Kristen, Arron, Kimberly, Aimee, and Emilee. 

A funeral service celebrating her life will be held on Thursday, April 18, 2019, at 1:00 PM at Carrboro United Methodist Church, Carrboro, NC. There will be a reception with light refreshments afterward in the fellowship hall. 

There will be a second funeral service on Monday, April 22, 2019 at 1:00pm at Asbury United Methodist Church in Harrington DE, under the care and direction of Melvin Funeral Home in Harrington.  Following the service there will be a reception with light refreshments in the fellowship hall, after which there will be a graveside service at Hollywood Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family would like contributions in honor of Kathleen to be sent to Carrboro United Methodist Church located at 200 Hillsborough Rd., Carrboro, NC 27510.  

Walker's Funeral Home of Chapel Hill has been entrusted to care for the Hughes family.  www.walkersfuneralservice.com.