Obituary
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our Dad, Dennis Leo McHugh. Dad passed away peacefully surrounded by family on June 19, 2021 in Calgary, Alberta at the age of 82 years.
Dad was born in High River, Alberta on October 19, 1938 and grew up north of Longview, near Hartell. Dad and his brothers were well known in the neighborhood for their mischievous antics, and Dad had plenty of stories to tell. He grew up hunting and fishing, and later in life, birds and gardening were a huge passion for him. Over the last 24 years, spending time with his grandchildren brought him great joy.
Dad met the love of his life, our Mom, Deanna, in 1963 and they were married in 1965. Together they raised their three daughters in Calgary. Dad was a devoted caregiver to Mom during her long journey with MS. Dad was no stranger to challenges. He and Mom faced many challenges in their years together. Dad always approached every struggle with courage, perseverance, faith and a positive attitude. As Dad would often say, there’s only one way to look and that’s forward. Dad was a role model for all of us. From Dad, we learned that you work hard at whatever you do and you do your best, not because you’ll get rich but because it’s the right thing to do. We learned perseverance and that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. We learned that kindness goes a long way, and you reap what you sow. We learned to trust in God, for he will guide us if we choose to listen. And we learned what true love really is by seeing the love our parents shared.
Dennis was predeceased by Deanna in November 2016 and it was fitting that they were reunited in heaven on what would have been their 56th wedding anniversary.
Dennis will be lovingly remembered by his three daughters and sons-in-law, Colleen and Tom, Karen and Harry, and Dawn and Chris, and by his eight grandchildren, Ryan, Jenna, Joseph, Deanna, Will, Ainsley, Skye and Griffen. He will be missed by his brothers, Gerald (Marlene) and Donald (Bev) and by numerous in-laws, nieces and nephews, friends and neighbours. He was also predeceased by his parents, James and Loretta McHugh, siblings Carol, Audrey, Allan, Frank and Terrilea.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a private funeral mass will be held at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Bashaw. A celebration of life for family and friends will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Dennis Leo McHugh, please visit our floral store.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Dennis Leo McHugh October 19 1938 June 19 2021 (age 82)..
Death notice for the town of: Wetaskiwin, Province: Alberta