Ralph E. McHugh, 69, of Smithfield, passed away peacefully in his bed at home after a long and courageous bout with Alzheimer's, Saturday, April 30. He went to be with his Lord and Savior while being surrounded by his devoted wife, loving family and dog.He was born February 1, 1942 in Martins Ferry, OH and was the youngest son of the late William R. McHugh and Catherine M. Brown McHugh.He was baptized in faith by the Smithfield United Methodist Church and was a '60 graduate of Smithfield High School in which he was class vice-president.With 25 years of service, he retired from the former Whg-Pitt Steel Steubenville Plant. He was also employed by Buckeye Local High School as a custodian and worked for Marriott Food Service at the Franciscan University.In his youth he; was a member of the Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department, may have pumped your gas at Red Woodford's or the Shell Station or coached you in little league. Later, Ralph was a member of the Lion's Club and Pine Valley Sportsman's Club. He also took pride in his work at the Smithfield Cemetery.Loved by many, he will be fondly remembered for his story-telling and jokes, handcrafted talents from being a handyman to artesian. A man who loved the outdoors, Ralph took great pride in his gardening, loved to hunt and fish and was a go-cart and motorcycle enthusiast. You may have seen Ralph swinging on the porch with his dog, Brittany.On October 10, 1963, he married his high school sweetheart, Elizabeth "Betty" Sebenello, who would ultimately become his devoted wife and dedicated caregiver.As the result of their love, they raised three loving daughters. The oldest, Tami Aleksiejczyk, (Frank Featner) and her sons, Frank and Daniel, of Wintersville, OH. Their middle daughter, Michele Bell, (Ray) and their son, Devvon, of Toronto, OH. The youngest, Andraia "AJ" Maguire, (Rich) and their daughter, Brooke, of New Alexandria, OH.Ralph is survived by his brother, William D. McHugh, (Pat) of Smithfield, OH, and their 4 children and 6 grandchildren and his sister-in-law, Gloria Watkins, of Reynoldsburg, OH, her 2 children and 2 grandchildren.Visitation for Ralph will be Tuesday 3-8 pm., at the J.E. Foster Funeral Homes, 107 Hill St. Smithfield; where Services will be held on Wednesday at 11:00 am. Pastor Jeff Greco will officiate his Service and burial will follow in Holly Memorial Gardens. Special thanks and our gratitude to Charity Hospice, Heritage Home Health and Gable's Nursing Home for their compassion and support during his battle with Alzheimer's.Share your thoughts and memories with Ralph's family at : www.jefosterfh.comIn lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the charity of the donors choice c/o J. E. Foster Funeral Home, P.O. Box 512 Smithfield, Ohio 43948
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