Sister Sheila Hughes, O.P., a member of the Sisters of St. Dominic, Amityville, for 76 years, died Oct. 22. She was 94.
Born as Margaret, she became acquainted with the Dominican Sisters at St. Luke School in Whitestone. She entered the congregation on Sept. 8, 1936. The following year, she received the habit and her religious name. On Aug. 20, 1938, she pronounced her religious vows.
She ministered as an elementary school teacher for almost 30 years. She taught at St. Michael, East New York, 1938-40; Holy Family, Park Slope, 1940-44; St. Bartholomew, Elmhurst, 1944-55; Notre Dame, New Hyde Park; L.I.; and Cure of Ars, Merrick, L.I.
She was principal and superior of Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, Roosevelt, L.I., 1959-65; superior at Queen of the Rosary Motherhouse, Amityville, 1967-70; and a teacher of English at St. Agnes Academic H.S., College Point, 1970-81; St. Patrick, Huntington, 1981-82, and St. Hugh, Huntington Station, L.I., 1982-83. She retired in 1983.
In 1984, she moved to St. Rose Convent, Massapequa, L.I., and volunteered in pastoral service until 2005. She moved to Cabrini Residence, where she stayed until 2007, when she moved to Carlin Hall.
Sister Sheila was part of a pioneer group at Harbor of Grace Convent, College Point, to experiment with a new style of community living.
She is survived by her sister, Joan Lombard of Florida.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated in St. Albert Chapel, Amityville, Oct. 25. Interment in the Sisters’ Cemetery followed.