Mary Aldona 'Gallant' McHugh Obituary (1912

TUPPER LAKE- Mary Aldona McHugh, 97, went home to the Father, joining her family and friends with her daughter by her side on October 5, 2009. She had been a resident of AMC Mercy Center for the past 11 months. Born on January 4, 1912, the oldest and last of 8 children of Stanley and Kathleen Gallant, she moved from her childhood home in Alberton, Prince Edward Island to Boston, where she completed two courses in Business Management and attended Northeastern University. She then worked for a company that provided staffing for the hospitality industry. After working in Florida for a few years, she transferred to the Saranac Inn, where she met and married Francis LaLonde. They operated the Waverly Hotel in the "French village" and had two children, Ivan, who is since deceased and Joseph of Tupper Lake. After his death, she continued to operate the Waverly Hotel by herself until she met and married Kermit Wilson, who owned and operated a coal, feed and later a bottled gas and appliance business. Together they had two children, Mary of Tupper Lake and William of Beaumont, Ca. After his premature death, she met and married Fred Oberlander, who helped her operate Wilson gas company. As the gas business was declining, she saw an opportunity to return to business she had been associated with most of her life and bought and refurbished the Iroquois Hotel. After a tragic death of Fred Oberlander, she unexpectedly re-connected with Glen McHugh, a childhood friend from Prince Edward Island. They later married and retired to Boston and subsequently to Miami, Fl. In 1995, after his death, she came back to Tupper Lake to live with her daughter, Mary. Ever a productive and active spirit, she enjoyed her last years working with children as a Foster Grandparent at L.P. Quinn Elementary School. Her legacy is in her stalwart and constant trust in God who saw her through so many difficult and challenging times. She is survived by her children, Joseph and Mary of Tupper Lake and William of Beaumont, Ca. Grandchildren; Gabrielle, Kimberly, William, Brian, Tammie LaLonde, Lori-Jo Crouse, Thomas, Arthur, William Sparks, William K. Wilson. Great Grandchildren; Hudson, Sydney, Logan, Aubrey Sparks, Ryan, Morgan Root, Michael Kavanaugh, Liza Crouse, Kristian LaLonde, Taylor Kenniston, Kaitlin Coltrane. Calling hours will be held on Thursday, October 8th from 7 to 9 pm at the Stuart- Fortune-Keough Funeral Home in Tupper Lake. A Mass of christian burial is scheduled for Friday at 11:00 a.m. at St Alphonsus Church. Burial will follow in the parish cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to AMC-Mercy in her memory. Online condolences may be made at www.stuartfortunekeoughfuneralhome.com.