Obituary for Mary Jane Hughes (Wade)
September 22, 1919 – February 23, 2018
We are sad to announce that our mother Mary Jane Hughes passed away peacefully in her 99th year, the morning of February 23, 2018 at Saint-Vincent Hospital in Ottawa. She will be missed by her sons Michael (Marianne), Christopher (Sharon) and Timm (Julie), her grandchildren Claire, Veronica and Dawson, her step-grandsons Mark, Adam and John, her sisters-in-law Lois and Hyacinth (Lou), as well as her many nieces and nephews, and a circle of close friends. Mary was born in Lethbridge, Alberta, and received her early education there and the Ottawa area. She worked at James W. Woods Camping Equipment, and later on Parliament Hill during WWII. In 1941, she met Gerry Hughes on a CN train travelling from Montreal to Ottawa and it was love at first sight. They married the following year and at war’s end, she accompanied Gerry in his work as Trade Commissioner for Canada’s Department of Trade and Commerce. Their first posting in 1946 was Glasgow, followed by Istanbul, Beirut, Stockholm, Rome, London, Ankara and Kuala Lumpur, with a hiatus at the International Trade Centre at Expo ’67 in Montreal. Mary unstintingly played the role of consummate host at the many functions she undertook as member of the foreign service team. Their guests often included heads of state, including former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, and on at least one occasion H.M. The Queen and Prince Philip. As the family travelled home on leave in 1953 they attended Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, sitting (in the rain!) directly across from the doors of Westminster Abbey. Mum’s curiosity about foreign cultures and languages brought her untold enjoyment. She shared with Dad a love of Swing Band and Scottish Country Dance music, and they spent countless hours on the dance floor.
She was an avid bridge player, forming many lasting friendships. Bridge friends have remarked that playing with her was not for the faint of heart, though with her grandchildren, she enjoyed nothing better than a marathon game of cribbage. She was a woman with strong opinions, and was unafraid to be herself, which endeared her to her friends, as well as to many residents and staff at her retirement residence. She was never happier than when cooking for the family at home, the family cottage on the Gatineau and their fishing camp near Wakefield, Que. Friends are invited to visit at the Central Chapel of Hulse, Playfair & McGarry, 315 McLeod Street (at O’Connor), Ottawa on Saturday, March 10, 2018 from 2 – 3p.m. Memorial Service in the Chapel at 3:00p.m. Reception to follow. As an expression of sympathy donations to the Good Companions Seniors’ Centre would be appreciated.
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Mary Jane Hughes Wade 1919 2018.source
Death notice for the town of: Ottawa, Province: Ontario