John Daniel McHugh

Mr. John Daniel McHugh, 96, of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and most recently Roswell, Georgia, passed away Tuesday, October 11, 2022, with his family by his side. John was born February 23, 1926 in Mobile, Alabama, the second of six children of Josephine and Edwin McHugh. John graduated from Murphy High School and enlisted in the United States Marine Corp, where he spent his 19th birthday on a ship off the coast of Iwo Jima as a member of that battle’s reserve forces. At the end of World War II, John attended the University of Alabama on the G.I. Bill, earning a degree in Business Administration and afterwards served as an officer in the Korean War. Upon returning home from this assignment, he married Rosanne Kelly in 1953 and joined Mobile Gas Company as a salesman. In 1963, John joined Atlanta Gas Light Company, overseeing offices and operations in both the Rome and Savannah districts before ascending to the role of Senior Vice President at the company’s Atlanta headquarters. He had a long career with AGL before retiring in 1991. He made many friends across the industry, where he was respected for his business acumen as well as his personal integrity and charitable heart. John married his second wife, Dorothy Buchanan, in 1992 and retired to Hilton Head Island. He earned his master gardener certification and enjoyed spending hours in his garden at Heritage Farm in Sea Pines, serving as president for many years and producing bountiful harvests each season. He was a valued source of information and support for his fellow gardeners, but he was most proud of providing produce to the Deep Well Project in Hilton Head, a non-profit organization that assists neighbors in need. John was also an avid golfer and enjoyed hitting the links several times a week with his wife and friends. He loved his weekly golf outing with the men’s group at Sea Pines Country Club, as well as traveling across the southeast with the Happy Hackers. When he wasn’t gardening or golfing, you could find John cheering on his beloved Crimson Tide and the Atlanta Braves. If there wasn’t a game on TV, you could find him in the kitchen. John was famous for his seafood gumbo and crab omelets that he learned from his mother, his Christmas fudge which he learned to make from Rosanne, and the vegetables he canned, including green beans, his pickled okra, and cucumber pickles. He also loved baking zucchini bread and chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies to give away to friends and family. But what John loved most in the world was the Lord and his family. A devout Catholic, he lived an authentic, faith-filled life of humility, kindness, service and generosity toward all he encountered. His example and his influence will forever remain in the lives of all who knew him and loved him. Along with his parents, John was preceded in death by his first wife, Rosanne Kelly; his second wife, Dorothy Buchanan; and his five siblings, J. E. McHugh, Jr., Kateri McHugh Baker, Joan McHugh Wilson, Aloysius McHugh and Patrick McHugh. He is survived by his five loving children: Lacy Hendricks (Billy), of Canton, Georgia; Dan McHugh (Alice), of Marietta, Georgia; Jody Henderson (Allen), of Savannah, Georgia; Chris McHugh (Lori), of Marietta, Georgia; and Kelly Hays ( Rob) of Suwanee, Georgia, along with his grandchildren Lauren Tolley (Josh), Matthew Saunders (Stephanie), Hogan McHugh, Jackson McHugh, Patrick Henderson, Ryan Henderson, Nathan Burris (Kate), Austin Burris (Victoria), Sara Hersh (Alec), Catie Rose Hays, Molly Hays, and Ben Hays; as well as great-grandchildren Jacob, Katherine and Luke Tolley, Lennon Burris, Eleanor Burris, and his sisters-in-law, Barbara McHugh and Carol McHugh and many nieces and nephews. A memorial mass and reception to honor John’s amazing life is planned for Friday, December 16th at 10:30 a.m. at St. Peter Chanel Catholic Church in Roswell. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in John’s memory to the Deep Well Project, your local chapter of The United Way or another charity of your choice. Please visit www.northsidechapel.com to share memories and leave condolences to the family. The service will be livestreamed for those who cannot attend at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8K5NurgHQI

John Daniel McHugh

February 23, 1926 - October 11, 2022