MENDOTA—Father Edward R. Hughes died June 3, 2017, at Heritage House, here, after a long illness. He was 83 years old.

Father Hughes was born in Chicago on January 19, 1934, to Edward J. and Irene (Rowland) Hughes.

He attended Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago before entering St. Mary Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 31, 1958, by Bishop Loras T. Lane at St. Mary Church in McHenry.

His first assignment was as Parochial Vicar at St. Joseph Parish, Harvard. He also served as parochial vicar at St. Joseph Parish, Freeport; Holy Angels Parish, Aurora; St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Crystal Lake; and St. Anne Parish in Dixon. He also served as chaplain of the Newman Apostolate at Sauk Valley Junior College beginning in 1969.

Father Hughes was assigned pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Fulton and St. Patrick Parish in Albany in September 1969 and served those parishes until July of 1975. From 1975 to 1987, he was pastor of St. Rita Parish, Rockford. In 1987 he was named pastor of St. Mary Parish, West Brooklyn and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Sublette, where he served until he retired from active ministry  on July 1, 2009.

Father is predeceased by his parents. Father is survived by his many special friends of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, in Sublette, St. Mary Parish in West Brooklyn and his brother priests.

Mass of Christian Burial was Wednesday, June 7, 2017, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Sublette. He was buried in the parish cemetery.