Ann H. Bright

Ann Hughes Bright died peacefully on March 12 at home, surrounded by her loving family. She was born on June 5, 1926 in Hillsboro, Texas to Bill Hughes and Evelyn Smiley Hughes.  She spent her childhood in Hillsboro (or as she referred to it, “Hellsboro”), Houston, and Corpus Christi. Ann’s first love was acting, and she studied at the University of Texas and then at the famed Pasadena Playhouse in California before moving to New York.  In 1949 she moved back to Corpus Christi, where she met the love of her life, Jim Bright. They married in 1951 and were married for 62 years until her death. Together they raised six children, Mitch, Brantly, Bibiana, Annie, David, and Joshua.  Her children were the great joy of her life, and Ann was a role model for her children, their spouses, and her grandchildren.  Ann taught her family compassion, humility and humbleness with dignity.  She taught us to see people as equals, no matter where, who, or what they were.  She was our counsel and biggest advocate. Ann loved her family, politics, books, music, travel and great conversations. She had countless friends here in Corpus Christi, across the country and around the world.  She could usually be found talking, laughing, and enjoying lively conversations, often about politics, with her family and friends.  She had a great love of weaving, taught weaving classes, and operated the Padre Island Weavers business for many years.  She also loved animals, and had countless dogs and other pets throughout her life whom she loved dearly. Ann fought tirelessly and selflessly for peace and justice for all humanity throughout the world.  Her lifelong involvement in politics included traveling to Washington, D.C. in October of 1969 to join 200,000 others in the March on Washington Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam.  She made numerous trips to foreign countries to bring humanitarian aid and view firsthand the political struggles of people around the world, including Nicaragua, Cuba, Iraq, and Chiapas, Mexico.  On multiple occasions, Ann ventured to the School of the Americas at Ft. Benning, Georgia to protest government-sanctioned torture. She worked tirelessly to desegregate the schools in Corpus Christi, and most recently was awarded the NAACP Boyd Hall Chapter’s Spark Award in recognition of her efforts in the struggle for civil rights here in her community. Ann was preceded in death by her son Mitch and her granddaughter Elena Shapiro, whom she loved and missed tremendously.  She is survived by her adoring family: her husband James Bright, her daughters Brantly (David) Shapiro, Bibiana (John) Dykema, and Annie (Todd Smiley) Bright, her sons David (Regi) Bright and Joshua Bright, eight grandchildren, two great grandchildren, and many, many friends. A rosary with be at 10:30 a.m. and a funeral mass will be at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 15 at Holy Cross Catholic Church, where Ann and her family attended for over 45 years. To offer your condolences visit us at www.cage-mills.com