Obituary: Mark T. Hughes
Mark Todd Hughes, a summer resident of Shelter Island, passed away December 20, 2011 in New York City at home with his wife and children by his side.
Mark, born in Oakland, California on May 27, 1952, was the eldest of Joan and Bob Hughes’ six children. He attended Oakland Technical High School and spent his junior year at the American School in Paris, which sparked his life-long love of traveling. In college, Mark taught English in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan. Passionate about learning, he was, at one time, fluent in French, Japanese and Mandarin.
In 1977, he graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in history. That year, Mark moved to New York City to begin a career in banking at Bankers Trust Company. In 1981, he joined Chase Manhattan Bank where he specialized in financing chemical companies.
Moving from project finance to securities analysis in 1994, Mark was named an Institutional Investor All-Star team member in Chemicals in 1998, 1999 and 2000. In 2001, Mark moved to London as the head of European high yield research at BNP Paribas London. Three years later he joined RBC Capital Markets as head of high yield research in New York. He retired in 2007.
Growing up in a boisterous, large family, Mark loved family life. While at Bankers Trust, he met his wife, Juliane Wallace. Eager to start his own family, he and Juliane moved to Montclair, New Jersey in 1983. There they welcomed their three children, Jeff, Steve and Sarah. As a busy commuter, his weekends were filled with his children’s hockey, baseball and lacrosse events. Whenever possible, Mark sought out adventure, taking the family camping in the Adirondacks, cross-country skiing in Lake Placid and the Grand Canyon, downhill skiing all over the West, biking in France and, of course, sailing off the coast of eastern Long Island.
A day sail from East Hampton sealed the family’s fate as future Islanders. Drawn to the relaxed world built around the water and the outdoors, Mark and Juliane purchased their first house in the Heights in 1988.
Mark quickly became an active member of the Yacht Club. He particularly loved the week-long trips he took with the club’s cruising group. Although an infrequent participant in the H 12 1/2 races, when he did sail, he was always pleased not to be the last boat over the finish line. He enjoyed helping with junior sailing regattas and serving on the Race Committee, the House Committee and the Cruising Committee.
Mark delved into community affairs briefly but passionately. When he joined the Heights board in 1998, his mission was to modernize the North Ferry fleet. As president of the North Ferry Company, he spearheaded the drive to build larger ferries to reduce the waiting lines. With his calm persistence and the support and assistance of the Heights management, he persuaded the Heights membership in December of 2000 to approve the purchase of the first large ferry.
Mark will be remembered for his uncommon wit and intelligence. A lifelong scholar and voracious reader, he was well-versed in many fields including history, economics, physics, geography and classical music. Nestled among an impressive number of nonfiction and textbooks were hundreds of cookbooks. Inspired by the techniques and craft (and the desire to upgrade from the Stouffer’s frozen dinners that had become a habit in the busy Hughes house), he taught himself to cook in his 30s. He loved to experiment with different cuisines, so dinner with Mark was always interesting, though often served at 11 at night. Ever the consummate chef, he never did master timeliness.
He is survived by his wife, sons Jeff of Cambridge and Stephen of Brooklyn, daughter Sarah of Chicago as well as his siblings, Bret, John, Dana, Kent and Erin, his sisters-in-law, Laura, Mayumi and Debbie and nine nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents in March of 2010.
A memorial service is planned for the spring.
Memorial donations may be made in Mark’s name to the East Bay Agency for Children (ebac.org) at 303 Van Buren Avenue, Oakland, California 94610.
