Karen Sue Hughes

Karen Sue (Ballinger) Hughes, age 57 of Prospect, passed away on Thursday,
February 3rd, 2022 at Marion General Hospital with her family by her side.
Karen was born on January 4, 1965, in Marion, Ohio to her loving parents Robert and
Joyce Ballinger. She is a graduate of Marion Harding High School. She married Alan
Hughes and they have been married for 37 wonderful years. They had three beautiful
children together, Shawn, Cory, and Chelsie.
If you were to ask anyone about Karen, one of the main things they would say is that
she is one of the most selfless people they know. She was very caring, thoughtful, and
extremely generous. She always knew how to brighten someone else's day. Karen
worked at Marion General Hospital in the surgery department. During the pandemic,
when visitor restrictions were in place, she would take the time to sit with patients who
couldn't have loved ones there with them. She would sit with them, hold their hand, and
just listen.
Karen loved to travel! She enjoyed vacationing to Hawaii each year and going on
cruises with her close friends, especially her sister-in-law, Darcy. Every spring, she
enjoyed going to the Amish to buy flowers for her flower beds. She would spend hours
working on them each year to make them look beautiful. Her favorite time of the year
was Christmas. She enjoyed family traditions associated around Christmas
time–painting ornaments, traveling to southern Ohio to enjoy the Santa train ride with
her grandchildren, attending the Columbus Zoo Lights, and on Christmas day, everyone
would come dressed in their Christmas pj's to open presents and have Christmas
breakfast together.
Spending time with family meant everything to her. She loved having family dinners and
cookouts together. She loved her grandchildren more than anything. Rarely did she
ever miss a grandchild's sporting event.
She will be greatly missed by all of her loved ones.
She is survived by the love of her life and husband, Alan Hughes, her parents, Robert
and Joyce Ballinger, brothers Kenny (Darcy) Ballinger, and Bobby (Lori) Ballinger,
sisters Kathy (Roger) Roberts, Shelly (Ronnie) Seckel, and Kelly (Chris) Kightlinger;
children, Shawn (Megan) Hughes, Cory (Molly) Hughes, and Chelsie (Shawn) Yost;
grandchildren Mason, Allison, Harrison, Garrett, and Grayson; and many nieces and
nephews.
Visitation will be Sunday February 13, 2022, from 5pm until 7pm at the Boyd Funeral Home.
The funeral services will take place the following day Monday, February 14, 2022, at 10am,
also at the Boyd Funeral Home. The committal service will take place immediately following the
funeral with Pastor Bill Wasserbeck will be officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked if you
wish to make any donations, please donate to Nationwide Children's Hospital in honor of Karen Hughes.
The family asks that all visitors wear a mask while attending the viewing and service. The Boyd Funeral Home
is honored to be assisting the family of Karen Hughes in their time of need.
For those unable to attend, the funeral will be livestreamed at the following link: http://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/69348