John P. "Jack" McHugh
John P. “Jack” McHugh passed away at his home in Denver on November 4. He was born August 8, 1948,
in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Allentown. His education at Lehigh University was interrupted by service in the Navy during the Vietnam War, but upon his return Jack graduated with a degree in Economics. A public agency risk manager in Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Colorado throughout his career, Jack retired in that role from Douglas County (CO) Schools. Jack was unique in that he made lifelong friends in every position and stage of his life, people who stayed close long after he, or they, had moved on.
We all agree: here was a man who lived life with gusto. His passions included movies, music, sports of all kinds, and holiday traditions.
This was someone who could name the stars in practically every notable movie since the thirties. He’d watched his favorites dozens of times,
never tiring of them, and would wax sentimental as if seeing them anew.
His extensive album and CD collections were carefully organized so as to be able to quickly retrieve and play any of them – and he did, often loudly with a speaker on the porch, audible to his kind and forgiving neighbors up and down the block.
Jack relished live concerts. Red Rocks and Telluride were favorite venues, but so were many others. He could recount the year, location, musicians, key songs and especially the friends with him at countless performances over the decades. He created a tribute to these memories on a wall in his home, combining the tickets, photos and his personally most meaningful recollections about them.
He always, quite memorably, left his Christmas tree up until St. Patrick’s Day each year, and then stowed it in the back yard until the next Christmas Eve -- when he and his neighbors used it to build a bonfire to warm their communal celebration.
Jack attended about every Rockies home opener until most recently, and took in other favorite teams, like the Philadelphia Eagles, on TV. On the night before he left us, he watched the Phillies in Game 5 of the World Series, calling it a good game (but that was before they lost, to be clear.)
Jack was preceded in death by his parents, Patrick and Gertrude McHugh, his best buddies Rich Hawkins and Cynthia Hershey, and the dogs he adored, Sam, Mona, and previously, Spot. He is survived by many, many friends who will miss him dearly, but who count themselves enriched by his place in their lives. Services will be 3p on Dec. 9, 2022 at St. Francis de Sales, Denver.