Hugh J Laughna

Hugh Joseph Laughna, Jr., born November 10, 1953, passed from this life to the next on July 10, 2014. The first born of Hugh and Marie Laughna, he spent his early years in Monroe, Michigan and watched over his younger siblings, Rory and Shauna. From the ages of 7 – 22, he was a student at The Orthogenic School in Chicago. There, he developed his fascination with myths & legends, history, and Shakespeare.

He then returned to his parents’ home in Monroe. He became active with the Monroe Community Center where he befriended a group of body builders and weight-lifters. That group of strong-men nurtured his dreams of competing, and even created a trophy especially for him. This constituted a highlight of his early adulthood.

In 1980 he moved with his parents to Orlando, Florida. He lived a few years in a group home at La Amistad in Maitland, Florida, and then spent 20 years at “The Ranch” of Family of Friends in Sanford, Florida. During his time in both group homes he developed his skills in bowling and his passion for movies.

Due to medical issues, in 2009 he became a long-term resident at East Orlando Health & Rehab Center. Always adaptable, he embraced this move enthusiastically. The Health Center’s staff became enamored with his perennially sunny disposition. A junk food aficionado, he was able to leverage his charisma and blue eyes to into a steady supply of treats by staff members who could not resist his charms.

He was diagnosed with metastatic malignant melanoma in early May. He spent his last few weeks of life in the comfort of East Orlando, surrounded by staff that loved him. Aided by the good people from VITAS hospice, he passed with his sister holding his hand and cheering him onto his new life.

He is preceded in death by both parents. He is survived by his brother and sister who adored him, two nieces, two nephews, and multiple cousins. In addition to his blood relatives, many staff members from both East Orlando and The Ranch became so close to him that they too are essentially family.

His family would like to express gratitude to all those who went the extra mile to make his life better. In addition to those already mentioned, the Novalis radiation team at UF Health Center – Orlando and the folks at A1 Medical Transport are thanked for making sure that his cancer treatment was laced with the ‘80’s rock music he so loved.