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Mary (Manning) Hughson Moran

ESCANABA — Mary (Manning) Hughson Moran

January 13, 1936 – November 19, 2021

Our mother would want you to know that she died of just plain old age – nothing COVID related.

The little, feisty Irishwoman, Mary, went kicking and screaming on her way to the pearly gates, but in the end, she passed quietly and peacefully, taking the lunar eclipse with her. Mary was proud of her Irish heritage and often bragged that she was “more Irish” than her late brother, Jack Manning, (according to Ancestry DNA.) St. Patrick’s Day was always a celebration whether in Escanaba, De Pere, or The Villages, Florida.

Born in Escanaba, Mary graduated from St. Joseph High School. She went on to receive her teaching degree at Northern Michigan University where she met the love of her life, Tom Hughson. Tom and Mary were married for 35 years until Tom’s death in 1992. Mary lost her mother at the age of 10, but that made her all the more determined to be an amazing mother, and amazing she was. We kids grew up with homemade bread, jam, cookies; scarves, mittens, sweaters and Halloween costumes. We had cookie trees with decorated cookies for Christmas and Easter. She showered her love on her children and grandchildren. Mom always knew how to make a moment fun or surprising. She prided herself on teaching children to read and firmly believed reading opened the world to children. We feel her presence silently correcting our grammar as we write this – one of her favorite hobbies.

Mary was a first and second grade teacher in the Escanaba Schools for 25 years. After she retired, she married Patrick Moran in 1996. They moved to De Pere to be closer to their grandchildren. Pat died in 2012.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents; husbands, Thomas Hughson and Patrick Moran; her first grandchild, Lauren Hughson; siblings, Jack Manning and Regina Buerstetta; and her dog, Bugsy Moran.

She is survived by her children, Mary (Ron Brown) Hughson Brown, Maureen (James Trongard) Hughson, Anne (Michael) Hale, Tom (Susan) Hughson; her grandchildren, Emily, Riley and Olivia Hughson, Noah and Caleb Hale, Lauren (Kevin) Holum and Nathan Belanger; great-grandchild, Maeve Holum; and puppy Molly Moran. Further survived by sisters-in-law, Sandy Hughson and Jeanette Manning; brothers-in-law, Mike (Jayne) Moran and Tim (Nancy) Moran; nephews and nieces, Pat and Sally Manning, Mike & Mara Manning; and all of her wonderful Manning and Hughson nephews and nieces.

Special mention of her beloved Bridge Club friends: (living) Barbara Rodman, Mary Babel and (deceased) Emma Meissner, Patt Marenger, Shirley Dufresne, Katie Kroll and Joyce Beaudoin; and her special De Pere friends.

Mary’s instructions to her family: “eat chocolate, drink good wine, remember all of the stupid and funny things that I said and did, laugh at them again, but most of all, remember how we all loved each other so much and how lucky we were!”

In lieu of flowers or donations, we ask that people consider donating children’s books to children in need, or, do intentional acts of kindness, whether that is social, spiritual, physical or monetary. Please do something to lift up another. Due to the high rate of COVID, the family will be having a private service. We will have an Irish wake next summer in Escanaba.

We would like to thank the incredible, kind, compassionate staff at Bellin Hospital, all of the nurses who cared for our mother in the Emergency department and on the eighth floor especially Bryn and Liz; Dr. Al-Shahrouri, Dr. Bougie, and all of the wonderful doctors who cared for our mother. Our thanks also to Jim Crawford and the Crawford Funeral Home family.

And Mom, you were right – Abby went to look for Chance and Devon is caring for the baby.