Hugh J Rafferty

Hugh Joseph Rafferty passed away, peacefully, with family at bedside, at St. Joseph Hospital in the early morning hours of June 20, 2021 – Father’s Day – ninety-seven years after his birth in the very same hospital.

Hugh grew up in West University Place, a son of one of its founding citizens. He attended St Anne’s School and graduated from St Thomas High School in 1942. He attended Rice Institute for one year before enlisting in the Army Air Corps, training as a radio operator. He was assigned to a C-47 aircraft in the 99th Troop Carrier Squadron and participated in many Airborne Operations including D-Day. He was one of a dwindling number of our Greatest Generation. Upon his return from the war, Hugh, on the recommendation of his good friend, Jim McConn (later mayor of Houston), enrolled at the University of Notre Dame from which he graduated as an engineer in 1949. In 1946, while visiting his uncle at the Hearst Corp in New York City, he became enamored of a young woman at work there named Catherine O’Rourke. Their first date was the Notre Dame - Army football game at Yankee Stadium between the two top-ranked teams in the nation; the game ended in a 0-0 tie and was the only game that Notre Dame did not win while Hugh attended the university.

Catherine and Hugh were married in January 1948, the start of a seventy-three year marriage of love and devotion and respect. After working for several years at Pollock Paper in Houston overseeing the production of waxed paper for the sliced bread industry, Hugh was offered a promotion at company headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. He turned it down because he did not like cold weather and could not abide leaving his native Houston. His loyalty was rewarded with his fortuitous hiring by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word to assist with the corporate modernization of their health care facilities in Texas, Louisiana and California. Although he was not, technically, a bigamist, this job and relationship was Hugh’s second great marriage. Over the next thirty-plus years, he oversaw the planning and construction of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of facilities in five U.S. states and in Ireland. After retiring at a relatively young age, Hugh became really busy as the ‘go-to guy’ for needed building projects for Casa Juan Diego, Shalom Center and Incarnate Word Academy and many others. He also volunteered at a local food bank and served for years on various boards and committees, including at St Thomas, Incarnate Word and Marian High Schools.

Hugh inherited a love of sports from his parents and was an avid fan of the Houston Buffs, Colt 45’s and Astros, the Houston Oilers, especially the early championship years and the Love Ya Blue era, the Rockets, the Rice Owls, and, most especially, St Thomas High School and the Notre Dame Fightin’ Irish. He was a renowned and successful Little League baseball coach and won many league championships and All-Star competitions including a City championship in 1965. He loved to play and watch golf, especially Arnold Palmer and Ben Hogan and Sammy Snead and Jordan Spieth.

Cathy and Hugh were founding members of Corpus Christi Parish and he was cherished member of the Men’s Choir for over fifty years. He was a member and officer of Downtown Houston Serra Club since 1961. He was the epitome of gentle compassion, wisdom and humility.

Hugh is survived by his wife, Catherine; daughters Mary Pat (Robert Bobo, dec’d), Maureen (Jim Leonard, dec’d), Kathleen Jones and sons Michael (Karen), Tim (Kata) and Tom (Frederika), son Kevin predeceased him; sister Rosemary Walker (Pink, dec’d) and brother Patrick (Joanne); twelve grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren; plus many nieces, nephews and cousins. The family would like to express their appreciation to care giver Guadalupe Foty for her care and devotion the past number of years.

All are invited to a Visitation on Thursday, June 24 from five o’clock in the afternoon until seven o’clock in the evening. The recitation of the Rosary will began at five o’clock.

Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted at eleven o’clock in the morning on Friday, June 25 at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 9900 Stella Link Rd in Houston. Immediately following the service, burial will take place at Forest Park Westheimer in Houston.