Helen Claire Hughes

Helen Connolly Hughes 1935-2010 Helen Connolly Hughes, widow of Prof. Patrick R. Hughes, died November 28, 2010 at Country Villa, Seal Beach, CA. Helen was born January 5, 1935 in Norfolk, VA to John G. Connolly and Mary (Burns) Connolly. Her father, CWO John Connolly, for whom the Destroyer Escort USS Connolly was named, died a hero in USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor. Her mother raised her two daughters here in Long Beach. Helen came to Long Beach with her family in 1938 and grew up here. She started school in the 1st grade at St. Matthews Grammar School in the fall of 1940 and graduated from St. Anthony's High School in 1952. She graduated from Long Beach State and then taught at Abraham Lincoln Elementary until she married in 1965. She married Patrick Hughes at Christmas time 1965. The two of them then spent the next thirty plus years first in Santa Clara and then in Ventura following his academic career. They returned to this area and moved into Leisure World, Seal Beach in 1997. Patrick died in November 2003. For the past five years she has been under the good and kind care of Country Villa. She is survived by her brother-in-law, Father Barnabas Hughes OFM, and many loving friends. Mass in her memory will be on Saturday, December 11, 2010 at 11 a.m. at All Souls Mortuary Chapel, 4400 Cherry Ave., Long Beach, CA. All Souls Mortuary (562) 424-8601 www.allsoulsmortuary.com