Mary M. Hughes

Cheshire - Mary M. Hughes, 61, passed away on Saturday, December 27, 2025, at her family home.

Mary was born March 29, 1964, in New Haven, the daughter of the late Thomas H. and Rita (Garvey) Hughes Jr.

Mary grew up in Cheshire and attended public schools in her hometown, graduating from Cheshire High School in 1982. She then earned an undergraduate degree in urban planning from the University of Connecticut and later a master’s degree in urban studies from Southern Connecticut State University.

Professionally, Mary was a town planner helping guide community planning and development in the towns of Griswold, Stonington, Cheshire, Plainville and Southington over her career. In her later years, she devoted herself to being the primary caregiver to her mother Rita. Though occasionally strained over six decades, the mother-daughter bond between them remained transcendent and everlasting.

Mary was a bighearted daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend, but she could be strong-willed as giving and loving and in moments of fiery temper known to tell the objects of her volcanic Irish ire to go to blazes. Her prodigious talent for cooking and baking was on delicious display for holiday meals and family get-togethers, including once again on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Mary loved to hear and tell a good story, and she was a keeper of family and neighborhood lore and stayed in regular touch with loved ones, both near and far flung. Through good seasons and bad, she remained a diehard fan of the NFL’s Detroit Lions, and, of course, always rooted for the UConn men’s and women’s basketball teams.

Mary is survived by her brothers Thomas Hughes and his wife Nancy; Peter Hughes and his wife Rochelle; Paul Hughes; her nieces Margaret, Erin, and Chelsea; and nephew Ryan and his wife Katie; and her other sister-in-law Nancy Roy. In addition to her parents, she is predeceased by her brother Timothy Hughes and niece Lauren Hughes, daughter of Thomas and Nancy Hughes.

Arrangements – Visitation will be held on Saturday, January 10, 2026, from 10:30 to 11:30 am at the Alderson-Ford Funeral Home of Cheshire, 615 S. Main St. At 11:30, her funeral procession will leave the funeral home and proceed to St. Bridget of Sweden Church for a Mass of Christian Burial at 12 noon. Burial will follow in St. Bridget Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Cheshire Food Pantry by clicking HERE.