Helen M. Hughes

Helen "Marian" Hughes (Ryczkowski) passed away peacefully on October 26, 2018 at the beginning of her 100th year and after a lifetime of caring and compassion for others.
Marian leaves behind a son, Gene Hughes and his wife, Elaine. Daughter Maryann Hughes-Gurdak and husband John. Grandchildren, Amanda Hughes and her husband Samuel Gale Rosen, Sean Hughes and his wife Rachel, Colleen Hughes, and Peter Gurdak. Marian was pre-deceased by her husband Eugene (Gene) and her son, Thomas, who passed away September 21, 2018.
Marian was the daughter of Teofil and Antonia Ryczkowski. She grew up is Passaic and attended St. Joseph's Grammar School where she made her first batch of many lifelong friends.
During the Depression, with no local jobs available, Teofil and Antonia headed out in the Summer to Bridgehampton, Long Island where Teofil worked on the potato farms and Antonia worked in large homes in East Hampton. Marian had many fond memories of the many Summers spent in Bridgehampton. She met her dearest friend, Ann Sudol Plafta, in L.I. as Ann's father was a builder who also went to L.I to take advantage of the building boom out on the Island. Their friendship lasted 85 years, until Ann's death in 2015. Marian also had many lifelong friends from Long Island that she kept in touch with regularly.
Marian also met her future husband Eugene (Gene) in Passaic. Rumor has it that Marian was not quite sure about the prospects of Gene as a husband so when Marian, and her mother and father moved from one apartment in Passaic to another she tried to ditch him. But 'lo and behold, Gene had his friend Paul get his car and they followed the bus Marian was on all the way to the new apartment. The rest is history, true love prevailed, Gene and Marian married April 1, 1945 after Gene returned to Passaic after serving five years in the Army in Italy and North Africa. They moved to Clifton in 1946 and added a son (Tom) to the family that same year and two other children (Gene and Maryann) arrived in the family in well-planned 5 year increments. Marian lost her mother at the age of 17, but she was devoted to her father and all six lived in the Nelson Street home. She stayed in the Nelson Street house for many years after Gene passed away in 1992.
Marian worked at Platronic Seals for many years where she met some more wonderful friends. Marian also met some terrific people when she moved to Evergreen Manor in 2001. She helped them and when she started to need some help they were there for her. Thank you all for your friendship with Marian.
Not too many people know that Marian was quite an artist. She was offered a full scholorship to Cooper-Union but she chose to go to work to help support her family. We are fortunate to still have quite a bit of her artwork from the late 1920's and early 30's. She also loved to sew. She was meticulous in her work and would be in the basement sewing room well into the night working on a new dress, suit or coat for either herself or daughter Maryann. We think this took the place of the drawing, most likely because "it was more practical." She also loved to read the Bible and inspirational books. After her work was done for the day she would sit on the couch and read for awhile before bed. Oh, and could that lady cook! All of her children's friends always loved to be invited to lunch or dinner. She was fabulous!
Marian was one of the most giving people I ever knew. She would help anyone who needed help. At the age of 94 she was still getting down on the floor adjusting the heat in the apartment, for her much younger friend at Evergreen Manor where she moved in 2001. She would walk down to the store or pharmacy for friends of hers that could not do so themselves. Shortly after Gene passed away, one cold Sunday after church, she saw a homeless man sitting on the steps outside the church. He was only wearing a thin jacket. She went right back home, got Gene's good winter coat out of the closet and promptly went back to St. Agnes and gave the gentleman her husbands' coat, scarf and gloves. She was forever giving rides to her friends that did not drive, always helping anyone if she saw someone was struggling with something. She always would offer to help in any way she could.
The one statement Marian always made was " I have been blessed with a lot of very good people in my life." Well Marian, I think the people who had you in their life are probably saying now that they have been very blessed with having shared their life with you. God speed, Marian. May the road rise up to meet you, and until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of his hand. Yes, I know, it's an Irish blessing, and you are Polish, BUT you did marry an Irishman! I can also hear you saying, "Don't make a big deal about this."
I believe when you got to the gates of Heaven and Saint Peter was waiting for you he most likely opened the door wide to let you in and said " Well done, Marian, well done indeed.".
Visiting will be Tuesday 5-8 pm at Bizub-Quinlan Funeral Home, 1313 Van Houten Avenue, Clifton. Funeral Wednesday 9:15 am from the funeral home and 10:00 am at Sacred Heart RC Church, cor. Clifton and Randolph Avenues, Clifton. Interment St. Michael's Cemetery, South Hackensack. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (www.stjude.org), 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 would be appreciated.