Lauren Marie Hughes

Lauren Marie Hughes
Ypsilanti, Michigan
Age 39

Died Friday, September 16, 2022, from a private affliction with cancer for eight years.  She was born February 14, 1983, in Wyandotte, Michigan the daughter of Timothy and Jeanette Hughes.


Lauren has been an artist since childhood, beginning by crafting in the Girl Scout program. At Age 8 she was selected to be a youth artist in the very first ‘Youth Art Fair ‘ within the annual Detroit Festival of the Arts, this was quite an honor.  She featured her modeling clay animals, jewelry and drawings.  She went to many Girl Scout camps and enjoyed horseback riding.  She loved animals especially her pet bird,Tweety, pet rabbit Bugsy and our dogs Nipper and Auburn.

She attended Warren Woods Middle School where she had her first taste of being a Wolverine, which was the school's mascot.

Lauren attended Lake Orion High School. She played on the tennis team and enrolled in as many electives as allowed, that were art classes of course, honing in her passion for clay sculpting.  She was an active member of the youth ministry at Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church in Lake Orion.  Lauren used her love for God and her art to create a portfolio where she later applied and was accepted to the University of Michigan College of Art and Design.

While attending U of M, Lauren pursued a degree in Graphic Design while maintaining her passion for clay artwork.   Lauren studied abroad in Italy, where she observed art in many of the world renowned cities from the renaissance that inspired her religious works. During this time she was able to attend the birth of her nephew Sean, while her brother Clinton and his family were stationed overseas in Sicily. Lauren finished her time at the University of Michigan with her Senior Integration Project Thesis Exhibition named Christ Passion. These kiln fired glazed tiles were a contemporary representation of both the traditional Stations of the Cross and Pope John Paul II's alternative Scriptural Stations of the Cross. The project contained 14 individual pieces that were displayed at several area churches and the 555 Non-Profit + Studios in Detroit. 

After graduating college, Lauren worked as a graphic designer at Identity PR and later at the Miles Christi Religious Order.  Over the years, she continued her clay artwork at the Ann Arbor Art Center, pursuing other mediums like wood and cork engraving created at Maker Works of Ann Arbor.  She continued to participate in numerous art shows displaying and selling her work.  Constantly using one of her two computers to research her faith and creating new art.  She was an active member of many Catholic communities in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti and participated in many community organizations that include Catholic Creatives, Deo Gratias, Generation Christ at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Ann Arbor, Praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy with St. Paul Street Evangelization and volunteered with the Family Life Services Center of Ypsilanti.

Lauren was a loving auntie to her nieces and nephews, and also a wonderful dog mom to Reilly. She taught art lessons to the kids and often tagged along on vacations with her sister Christa's family. Lauren loved all of her nieces and nephews as her own. She enjoyed birthday gatherings and dancing with everyone to the Beatles Birthday song. The Holidays were always special to her, especially Christmas and Easter.  We will always miss and love our sweet Valentine Girl!

Lauren is survived by her loving Parents: Timothy and Jeanette Hughes; Brother, Clinton (Nichole) Hughes and niece/Goddaughter, Courtney and nephew and niece, Sean and Emily Hughes; Sister, Christa (Samuel) Andrews and nephew/Godson, Logan and niece, Charlotte Andrews; Godfather, Robert Bugnacki; numerous aunts, uncles and cousins from both Hughes and Bugnacki families.  She was preceded in death by her Grandparents, William & Bertha Jean Hughes and Jerome & Lorraine Bugnacki; Great Grams, Bernice Schotter; Godmother, Edna Gondor; Aunt Rose Baxter, Uncle Jim Baxter, Uncle Frank Cernak, Uncle Cal Schotter and cousin Karen Cernak.  Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Thursday, September 22, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 410 W. Cross St., Ypsilanti, MI 48197  with Fr. Daniel Westermann officiating.  Burial will follow in St. John Catholic Cemetery, Ypsilanti, MI.  The family will receive friends on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, at Janowiak Funeral Home, Geer-Logan Chapel from 2:00 - 4:00 P.M. and 6:00 - 8:00 P.M. with a Rosary being recited at 7:00 p.m. with a Time of Sharing to follow, and visitation at the Church on Thursday, September 22, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. until time of Mass.   In lieu of flowers, please bring a memory picture or note for the family to keep.