Joan Hughes McCarthy, a long-time resident of Wauconda, Illinois, passed away on March 28, 2022 at the age of 97. Joan was born on December 14, 1924 in London, England to Frederick and Helena Ackerman. She met her husband, Earl Sherwood Hughes, an American serviceman stationed in England, when he protected her from shrapnel raining down on her during the London Blitz. They married in December 1943, and when the war ended, they settled in Wauconda, Illinois.
During her decades in Wauconda, Joan raised her five children--Gordon, Vivienne, Marilyn, Valerie, and Andrea--and worked at Wauconda Grade School and Kemper Insurance. She was an active member of the Federated Church and the Grandmothers Club. After more than 50 years of marriage, Earl passed away in 2001, and Joan remarried and moved to Florida with her second husband, William McCarthy. When Mac passed away, Joan relocated to Seattle, Washington, where she lived independently until age 97. In Seattle, she enjoyed the rainy weather which reminded her of England, walks around Green Lake, attending the theatre, travel with her family and friends, and regular visits from her children and their families. She passed away peacefully after a short hospital stay.
Joan is survived by her children and ten grandchildren. She will be remembered for her love of family, steadfast friendships with those in Wauconda and Seattle, radiating elegance at all times, and a British accent that never faded.
During her decades in Wauconda, Joan raised her five children--Gordon, Vivienne, Marilyn, Valerie, and Andrea--and worked at Wauconda Grade School and Kemper Insurance. She was an active member of the Federated Church and the Grandmothers Club. After more than 50 years of marriage, Earl passed away in 2001, and Joan remarried and moved to Florida with her second husband, William McCarthy. When Mac passed away, Joan relocated to Seattle, Washington, where she lived independently until age 97. In Seattle, she enjoyed the rainy weather which reminded her of England, walks around Green Lake, attending the theatre, travel with her family and friends, and regular visits from her children and their families. She passed away peacefully after a short hospital stay.
Joan is survived by her children and ten grandchildren. She will be remembered for her love of family, steadfast friendships with those in Wauconda and Seattle, radiating elegance at all times, and a British accent that never faded.
Joan Hughes McCarthy, a long-time resident of Wauconda, Illinois, passed away on March 28, 2022 at the age of 97. Joan was born on December 14, 1924 in London, England to Frederick and Helena Ackerman. She met her husband, Earl Sherwood Hughes, an American serviceman stationed in England, when he protected her from shrapnel raining down on her during the London Blitz. They married in December 1943, and when the war ended, they settled in Wauconda, Illinois.
During her decades in Wauconda, Joan raised her five children--Gordon, Vivienne, Marilyn, Valerie, and Andrea--and worked at Wauconda Grade School and Kemper Insurance. She was an active member of the Federated Church and the Grandmothers Club. After more than 50 years of marriage, Earl passed away in 2001, and Joan remarried and moved to Florida with her second husband, William McCarthy. When Mac passed away, Joan relocated to Seattle, Washington, where she lived independently until age 97. In Seattle, she enjoyed the rainy weather which reminded her of England, walks around Green Lake, attending the theatre, travel with her family and friends, and regular visits from her children and their families. She passed away peacefully after a short hospital stay.
Joan is survived by her children and ten grandchildren. She will be remembered for her love of family, steadfast friendships with those in Wauconda and Seattle, radiating elegance at all times, and a British accent that never faded.
During her decades in Wauconda, Joan raised her five children--Gordon, Vivienne, Marilyn, Valerie, and Andrea--and worked at Wauconda Grade School and Kemper Insurance. She was an active member of the Federated Church and the Grandmothers Club. After more than 50 years of marriage, Earl passed away in 2001, and Joan remarried and moved to Florida with her second husband, William McCarthy. When Mac passed away, Joan relocated to Seattle, Washington, where she lived independently until age 97. In Seattle, she enjoyed the rainy weather which reminded her of England, walks around Green Lake, attending the theatre, travel with her family and friends, and regular visits from her children and their families. She passed away peacefully after a short hospital stay.
Joan is survived by her children and ten grandchildren. She will be remembered for her love of family, steadfast friendships with those in Wauconda and Seattle, radiating elegance at all times, and a British accent that never faded.
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
See more Hughes McCarthy or Ackerman memorials in:
- Mount Auburn Cemetery Hughes McCarthy or Ackerman
- Cambridge Hughes McCarthy or Ackerman
- Middlesex County Hughes McCarthy or Ackerman
- Massachusetts Hughes McCarthy or Ackerman
- USA Hughes McCarthy or Ackerman
- Find a Grave Hughes McCarthy or Ackerman
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
