Donald "Ducky" J. McHugh

Donald “Ducky” J. McHugh, 91, of Coventry, a World War II Army Veteran, passed away peacefully at his home Sunday, January 19, 2020.

He was the beloved husband of Celia “Peachy” A. (Davidson) McHugh, they had been happily married for 71 years.

Born in Providence, a son of the late Patrick J. and Elsie (Dinosky) McHugh.

Donald was a production worker for the former Davol Rubber Company in Providence for 45 years. He was an active member and served on the Executive Board of the United Rubber Workers Local #911. He also worked at Lang’s Bowling Alley in Cranston for 35 years.

Ducky was a lifelong baseball fan and had been drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1944, before deploying to serve his country.  He played centerfield, pitched a 92mph fastball and could run “like a son of a gun”. He earned his nickname “Ducky” on the field shortly after a mishap with a pop fly. His passion for the sport continued throughout his life. He coached Coventry’s Little League and spent every March to September cheering on his favorite team, the Boston Red Sox.

Family was the most important thing to him. He adored his children and grandchildren; earning a second nickname “Boppa” from his beloved late grandson, Kyle. Boppa was loved by everyone he came in contact with.

Besides his wife, Ducky is survived by his children, Lindelle Jones, Michael McHugh, Lori Guthrie and her husband Scott. He was the beloved grandfather of Brad Jones, Sarah Gilkenson, Erin and Seyward Guthrie and the late Kyle Jones. Great-Grandfather of Liam Guthrie. Brother of Madeline Fryberger and the late Francis “Hank”, William “Billy”, and John “Jack” McHugh.

As Ducky always said: “Take two and hit to the left, kid!”

Relatives and friends are invited to a Mass of Christian Burial Friday, January 24 at 11 a.m. in Blessed Sacrament Church, Academy Avenue, Providence. A committal service with military honors will follow in RI Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Exeter.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States, Post Office Box 1069 Sherburne, NY 13460

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