Virginia L. Hughes

Virginia L. Hughes, 68, of South Bend, passed away Friday, July 26, 2013, at Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis, following a courageous battle with Multiple Myeloma.

Virginia (known by some as “Jenny”) was born April 19, 1945 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the daughter of the late Meredith Howard and Josephine (Cross) Gauthier. She grew up in Indianapolis and graduated from Ben Davis High School in 1963. She earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering Technology from Purdue University in 1981.

Virginia moved to South Bend in 1981. She was employed with Bendix from 1981 until 1993 and then at CTS in Elkhart until retiring in 2000.

Virginia has owned and operated Cat Nap Inn in South Bend since 2000. She had a passion for kitties and loved caring for her customer’s cats at the Inn.

Virginia enjoyed nature and loved the home she had built in a wooded and water setting. She was an only child and was particularly close to her dad. She loved eating out.

Virginia’s surviving family includes first cousins, Anna Slagley of Crown Point, Arthur (Betty) Phelps of Kentucky and Linda (James) Foster of Florida; a second cousin, Tammy (Larry) Krueger of Michigan City; Virginia’s kitties, Andy and Ollie; several close friends; and her customers of Cat Nap Inn.

Memorial services honoring Virginia’s life will be held at 2 pm on Saturday, August 17, in Goethals & Wells Funeral Home, 503 W. 3rd Street, Mishawaka, with Rev. Barbara Jung leading the service. Burial will take place in the family plot at Floral Park Cemetery, Indianapolis.

Friends and family may gather from 1 - 2 pm on Saturday prior to the service.

Memorials are suggested to Pet Refuge. Assistance with memorials is available at the funeral home.