Mary Howard HUDGINS

HUDGINS, Mary Howard, of Delray Beach, Fla., effervescent, friendly, and giving, passed away on October 28, 2009 at the age of 91. Mrs. Hudgins was born Mary Atherton Howard in Chicago on July 13, 1918 to Frank Atherton and Almeda Barr Howard. Growing up playing and competing with three brothers and a sister, led to a lifetime of athleticism in which she moved effortlessly from hockey to gymnastics, basketball, tennis, skiing, and then golf, excelling in all. She attended Kent Place School and Smith College before moving to Stowe, Vermont to teach skiing in the era before mechanized ski lifts. While there, she met Col. Edward M. Hudgins, on leave from the military, and they later married on March 10, 1945 at St. James Episcopal Church in New York City. The service component of her life included participation and leadership in community organizations such as the Red Cross, the Junior League, and the Belle Bryan Day Nursery. At the time of her engagement she was working as a nurse's aide at Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. When her husband was shipped overseas for the war, she worked in the War Department and continued teaching skiing in the winter in Vermont. After the war, Mary and Ed Hudgins moved to Richmond, Virginia. Without access to skiing, she returned to tennis and competed throughout the state, eventually winning the ladies' title for the state of Virginia in 1948. Later, shifting to golf, she filled the house with trophies, but humility dictated storing them in the basement. After starting a family in 1949, she chose to focus on her role as wife and mother, bringing to it the same energy, optimism, and work ethic that led to her athletic success. However, she still found time to engage in her favorite hobbies of gardening and bridge, to participate in the local chapter of the Smith College Alumnae Association, the Altar Guild of St. Mary's Episcopal Church, the Three Chopt Garden Club, and the Colonial Dames. Mrs. Hudgins was a member of the Country Club of Virginia for over 50 years. Mary and Ed Hudgins began spending winters in Delray Beach, Florida when Mr. Hudgins retired. Both enjoyed membership in the Gulf Stream Bath and Tennis Club, and the Gulf Stream Golf Club for over 30 years. Later, Mrs. Hudgins also joined the Little Club. Ed and Mary Hudgins were married 60 years until Ed Hudgins predeceased her in 2005. Mrs. Hudgins is survived by two sons, their families, and hundreds of friends. Edward Wren Hudgins II, Ph.D. lives in Seattle with his wife, Leigh Edens Hudgins, and their children, Joseph Craig (29) and Alexander Wren (26). Frank Howard Hudgins and Elisabeth Glover Hudgins live in Arlington, Virginia with their children, Edward Tyler (18) and Mary Virginia (16). A memorial service will be held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 188 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach, Florida at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, November 4, with a reception to follow in the parish hall. The memorial service in Richmond has not yet been scheduled. Contributions in lieu of flowers may be sent to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, P.O. Box 27106, New York, N.Y. 10087; Hospice of Palm Beach County, 5300 East Ave., West Palm Beach, Fla. 33407; or St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 12291 River Road, Richmond, Va. 23233-6112. Lorne & Sons Funeral Home, Delray Beach in charge of arrangements.

This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.