PATRICIA ADELE HUGHES MARA

PAT MARA MSN, 88, died Sunday, July 15, 2018., at the Gardens of Monroe.

Born in 1929 in Bayonne, NJ to Louise Schmidt Hughes and William Parker Hughes. She grew up in Westfield NJ and graduated from high school there in 1947. She became an RN graduating from Abington Nursing School in 1950.

Married to family practitioner, Francis J. Mara; together they ran a practice in Jersey City then the Jersey Shore and finally retiring at Meadow Lakes in East Windsor. She started college in 1975 at Georgian Court College for her BSN at the same time her eldest daughter started college and ultimately obtained a Masters of Nursing from Trenton State and a Masters in Psychology from Farleigh Dickinson in 1982.

After her husband passed; Pat worked first as a visiting nurse and then as an employee of the State of NJ. She was employed at Marlboro Psychiatric and then retired from Trenton Psychiatric Hospital after 22 years of service.

Passionate about education especially of women she crusaded with everyone she knew to advocate them to fulfill their promise. She was very proud to be the founder and first Associate of the Sisters of Mercy.

She was pre-deceased by her parents and her spouse as well as her son Frank Mara and her companion Jim Tegan. She is survived by two daughters, Deborah L. Mara VMD (Alan Danser) and Madonna M Cadott BSN (John) and a son, William P Mara (Tracey), daughter in law, Cheryl Mara, as well as grandchildren Brittney and Alexis Cadott, Jay Trenkle, Lindsey, Jessica and Jenna Mara and great grandchildren McKinli Jay and Genevieve.

Private family services are under the direction of Barlow & Zimmer Funeral Home, 202 Stockton Street, Hightstown, NJ 08520. Donations may be made in Pat’s name to The Sisters of Mercy, 515 Montgomery Avenue, Merion, PA 19066.