Michael McHugh

McHugh, Michael
Joseph
May 29, 1946 - Jul. 17, 2015
Michael Joseph McHugh, 69, of Sarasota, died peacefully on July 17, 2015 at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, FL following an extended illness.
Mike was born in Pittsburgh, PA on May 29, 1946, the first child and only son of Michael Anthony and Catherine Schuler McHugh. Along with his two younger sisters, Kathleen and Patricia, he was raised in the North Hills area of Pittsburgh. He attended St. Teresa of Avila Catholic School, then North Allegheny High School, where he participated in the track team. After high school he studied at Adrian College in Adrian, MI, where he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1968.
After completing his studies at Adrian, Mike applied to and was accepted into the Master's program for special education at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL, as a graduate assistant. During his time there, he was also active in the Student Council for Exceptional Children, for which he served as a local and state officer. Prior to receiving his Master's degree, he had already begun his first teaching position in Exceptional Student Education, working at South Miami Junior High School in 1969.
During his graduate work in Miami, Mike met fellow graduate student Julie Ann Rohr, who he married on November 29, 1969. Beginning in 1970, he joined his new wife at Everglades Middle School in Broward County, working in the special education program there. During his tenure at Everglades, he completed an administrative training program, allowing him to qualify for educational leadership positions. Not long after, he became the chair for his department. It was also during this time that Mike and Julie welcomed their first two children into the world, sons Michael and Mark, born in June 1973 and June 1975.
With their two boys, Mike and Julie relocated to Sarasota, FL, in July of 1976, where he began teaching at Brookside Middle School in the Exceptional Education program, and she took over administrative duties at Julie Rohr Petite Academy (now Julie Rohr Academy). In addition to his regular job responsibilities, Mike worked afternoons at the Academy, where he was known to often entertain students by playing his guitar and singing folk songs. In 1978, Mike and Julie added another child to their family, son Matthew, born in January.
Mike's position at Brookside was the beginning of what would become a 33-year career with the Sarasota County Public Schools, constantly dedicated to the development and improvement of educational services for the most at-risk student populations. Before long he was assuming administrative positions, beginning with Program Specialist for EH/SED, followed by the principalship at Betty M. Tackett School, the principalship of the Cyesis alternative education program, Director of Operations for ESE, and finally, Executive Director for Pupil Support Services for all of Sarasota County, under the direct supervision of the superintendent of schools.
Mike and his wife Julie also continued to expand their family, with the birth of their son Martin in October of 1984 and daughter Meghan in November 1987. After Meghan's passing in June 1991 from complications relating to leukemia, Mike and Julie sought to add once more to the family, which they did with the birth of their fifth son, Mitchell, in October 1992. Mike and Julie's dream of having all of their sons complete a post-secondary education will be realized at the end of this year, when Mitchell graduates from the University of South Florida.
Mike's leadership contributions to the field of education were numerous, including 41 years with the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), serving as President and Treasurer for the local and state chapters at various points. He was also a member of the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (CCBD), the Florida Association of School Administrators (FASA), the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), and the Florida Charter School Appeals Commission, and presided over several other organizations, including the Council for Administrators of Special Education (CASE, 2000-2004), the Sarasota School Based Administrators Association (1986), and the Sarasota District Administrators Association (1996). He sat on the boards of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the University of South Florida's Special Education program, and the Sarasota County Schools Consortium. He was nominated for CASE's Landis Stetler Award in 2007, and received the Administrator of the Year Award from the Sarasota District Administrators Association for 2004-2005. Even after his retirement from the Sarasota County Schools system in 2009, Mike continued to stay active in the field of education, doing consulting work for districts around the country working to establish new charter schools.
Mike's passion was education, and serving the needs of students of all ability levels. His first love, however, was still his family. He is survived by his wife, Julie, his sons Michael, Mark, Matthew, Martin and Mitchell, sisters Kathleen (Glenn) Cambor and Patricia (Norman) Spiker, daughters-in-law Kyoko and Andrea, grandsons Michael, Brooks and Julian, granddaughters Sienna and Macy, niece Kate Cambor and nephew Peter Cambor, cousin Christine (Rick) Cremer and numerous other extended family in the Pittsburgh area.
A visitation will be held at Toale Brothers Funeral Home: 40 N. Orange Ave on Friday, July 24, 2015 from 4:00 to 7:00 PM. Services will be held at Pine Shores Presbyterian Church on Saturday, July 25, 2015 at 10:00 AM, with luncheon reception to follow. Mike will be laid to rest next to his beloved daughter, Meghan, during a private burial ceremony later that day. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Mike's name to the Education Foundation of Sarasota County: 1960 Landings Boulevard #120, Sarasota, FL 34231.