Susan L. Hughes

1949 - 2018

Susan Liberi Hughes (ne My- szkowski) of Marblehead MA and Naples FL passed away April 2, 2018. Born in 1949 in Bristol CT, to Virginia and Frank Myszkowski, Susan graduated from Bristol Eastern High School and received her BFA from Boston University School of Fine and Applied Arts (Boston University CFA.) Among the early pioneers in the contract office furniture and corporate interiors industry that was in its infancy in the early 1970s, Susan remarkably became one of its first women in sales, a status that held true for many years. Following her work in the contract division of John Wanamaker in Philadelphia, and subsequent years with A. Pomerantz & Co, Philadelphia, Susan moved on to become a Vice President at Offices U- nlimited Inc,Lawrence/ Boston MA, where she concentrated her sales efforts on the rapidly expanding field of healthcare. Known to take on leadership roles in areas hard to crack open, she was often successful where others were not, attributable to a winning combination of personable style, indominable spirit, and an ability to bring about consensus and collaboration among co-workers and clients alike. In her most recent tenure at Red Thread/Steelcase as Vice President of Healthcare, the culmination of a career that spanned 45 years, Susan was instrumental in overseeing the relationship at Partners Healthcare System including major projects at Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Susan's dedication to her craft along with thirst for continuous learning allowed her to be a kn- owledge source for many of the Healthcare Institutions in the New England Area. Susan was a long-time member of Eastern Yacht Club, Marblehead and lived for escapes onto the water, either to captain her J/boat in Marblehead, or to walk the sands along the beach in Naples. Always game for adventure, she was a prized companion on family trips by jeep out west, and on excursions to museums, galleries, and any place where she could find a sense of natural wonder, whether it be as a passenger in a vintage biplane or digging in her own garden. In-between she squeezed in precious mo- ments to return to her roots as a creative artist, often donating her works to charity auctions, and, each year raising the bar for holiday cards with a newly-rendered fantasy depiction of Santa and his reindeer as they sailed about Marblehead harbor. Susan is predeceased by her beloved husband, A. Jay Hughes, and is survived by her brother Gary Myszkowski and his wife Pam, stepson Jeffrey Hughes and wife Tania, stepson Christopher Hughes, sister-in-law Marilyn ORourke and her husband Paul, nieces Sasha, Lisa, and Susan, nephews Paul and Ted, grandchildren Claudia and Rowan, godson Mike Gibson, and many grandnieces and nephews. She will be greatly missed by all of her family and a vast array of friends. A memorial service will be held at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead at noon on September 15. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to: Care Dimensions, 75 Sylvan Street, Suite B-102, Danvers MA 01923, www.caredimensions.org.