John J. McHugh

Waltham - Mr. John Joseph McHugh, of Waltham, World War II veteran and retired long time Director of the Massachusetts State Police Forensic Crime Laboratories died on November 12, 2008 in Natick. He was 89. Born in Cambridge on June 16, 1919, a son of the late Thomas F. and Anna McHugh, he had lived in Watertown before moving to Waltham in 1942. A graduate of Watertown High School, John received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Tufts University and a J.D. from Boston College Law School. He became a member of the Massachusetts and Federal Bar and was subsequently admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. Shortly after graduating from Tufts, John entered the U.S. Army Air Corps serving through May 1946, rising from the rank of Second Lieutenant to Captain. Among other decorations, he received the Asiatic Pacific Service Medal and a Bronze Star for the Ryuku Campaign. After World War II, John worked in forensic chemistry for the Massachusetts State Police Forensic Crime Laboratories where he pioneered efforts to prevent the use of drugs in racing horses and dogs. In 1968, John was appointed Director of the Massachusetts State Police Forensic Laboratories, remaining in this position until retirement in 1987. He had been a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post No. 1272 in Belmont, the Joseph F. Hill American Legion Post No. 156 in Waltham and had been a longtime board member of the Waltham Arts Council. John leaves his wife, Mildred H.(King) McHugh of Waltham; four children, Maureen Dunne, MBA, and her husband, Patrick, of Framingham, Katherine McHugh Lichliter, Ph.D., and her husband, William Lichliter, of Vienna, Austria, John Joseph McHugh, Jr., MBA, of Hopkinton, and Christine McHugh Purington, MD, and her husband, James, of Rutland; eight grandchildren, Kerry Dunne, and her husband, Adam Steiner, of Framingham, Eileen Dunne of South Boston, Erin Dunne and her husband, Ryan Ellis of San Diego, California, Andreas Lichliter of Vienna, Austria, Nicholas McHugh of Westboro, and Eric, Carolyn, and Myles McHugh Purington of Rutland; and two great-grandchildren, Nora and Margaret Steiner. He was also a brother and dear friend of Paul F. McHugh of Weymouth and West Palm Beach, Florida; a cousin of John Perkins and his wife, Mary, of Belmont, and Attorney David Walsh and his wife, Patricia, of Medford and also leaves many nieces and nephews. John was also a brother of the late Thomas F. McHugh, Edward McHugh, Anna McHugh, Roberta Podgurski, and Margaret Jones. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Funeral at 11 a.m. Saturday from The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Rte. 20), Waltham followed by a Funeral Mass in Saint Jude Church, 147 Main Street, Waltham at 12 noon. Burial will be in Saint Patrick's Cemetery, Watertown. Visiting hours will be held on Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations to honor John's memory may be made to the Alzheimer's Association of Massachusetts (Research Only), 311 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA 02472 or to the Wounded Warrior Program (for veterans injured in Iraq/Afghanistan), c/o R and DA, 16607 Blanco Rd., Suite 1506, San Antonio, Texas 78232.