By Frank Sinatra, AAP Editor
Patricia McHugh, the first editor of All Around Pennsauken, passed away on Aug. 12 at the age of 80.
McHugh was part of a handful of residents who banded together in 1997 in order to create a publication to serve and inform the Pennsauken community. In addition to being editor, Patricia also wrote a column called, “All Things Considered.”
Mrs. McHugh was a devout Catholic, as well as an aspiring poet and writer. She was also a bereavement counselor with Givnish Funeral Homes in N.J. and Pa.
Patricia was the beloved wife of Deacon Joseph P. McHugh for 61 years; devoted mother of Kathleen McHugh, Maureen McHugh, Eileen (Bill) Weaver, and Thomas (Melissa); loving grandmother of 10 and great grandmother of four; dear sister of Donna (Howard) Walker and the late Charles Shipe and sister-in-law of Elizabeth Falzone. She is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.
In a recent Facebook post, Patricia’s daughter, Maureen, remembered her mother as a “writer, a teacher and the best mom God ever made.”
On a more personal note, I’ve known Mrs. McHugh since I was a child. Growing up at Saint Peter’s Roman Catholic Church in Merchantville, she was a staple there; she served her community as a lector and volunteered at a variety of church events. When I started as editor of All Around Pennsauken, she gladly offered some advice on how to begin, which was much welcomed. She was also never too shy to express her opinion, showing that her spirit was much larger than her size. Patricia was a talented, spunky lady that will be missed by many.
Fond Summer Memories At The Pennsauken Pool
The following is a submission from Patricia for All Around Pennsauken several years ago. We’re happy to share it with you as a tribute to her and her love of the Pennsauken community:
Growing up in Pennsauken Township, we kids looked forward to the last day of school. But the big moment was the day that the Pennsauken Pool opened. We had anxiously awaited opening day and spoken often to our classmates about getting our pool tickets, which were a sign and a promise of good things to come.
The Pennsauken Pool was our special place to spend the summer months. During the after the war years, it became the gathering place for all young and old in our Township. Our pool tickets became the gateway to fun and games for everyone.
On opening day, we kids couldn’t wait to grab a towel and our tickets. Off we would go, guaranteed a good time mixing and mingling with kids from other schools in Pennsauken.
Of course, we all walked to the pool regardless of where we lived. It never entered into our minds that it was too far for us to go for a swim. Whether you lived across Rt. 130 or down off Browning Rd. If it was in the Township, you were off and running. Getting there was half the fun. You might leave your house alone or with a friend, but by the time you arrived on River Rd., you would have become part of a migration with towels and pool tickets that laughed and talked all the way to an afternoon of fun.
Rules were strictly enforced by a member of the older generation whom we respected as manager and had the responsibility of keeping us all in line, while at the same time permitting us to enjoy ourselves.
Promptly at three o’clock, a buzzer would sound. We knew it was now time for the adult swim, and all the kids had to get out of the water. We would head over to the refreshment stand, which sold pretzels for a penny. If you had any money, you bought something to share with you friend, even if it meant breaking the pretzel in two.
In all my days at the pool, I never saw any fighting or heard anyone quarrel with authority of the life guards or pool manager. Perhaps my memory is a bit cloudy after all these years, but those hazy crazy days of summer growing up in this Township are the best.
