In Memoriam

Thomas M. Hughson, 88

Nov. 17, 1933 – Feb. 26, 2022

ONEONTA – Thomas M. Hughson, 88, died peacefully in his sleep at the Cooperstown Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing on February 26, 2022. He is survived by his beloved spouse of almost 30 years, Susan M. Hughson.

Tom was born in Oneonta, New York on November 17, 1933. The son of Thomas P. and Doris M. Hughson, Tom went to Bugbee School – across the street from his childhood home – and Oneonta High School. He then attended Dartmouth College, where he majored in psychology. Following his graduation in 1955, Tom worked at the Glens Falls Insurance Company and was soon drafted to serve in the army. Before leaving for Germany, he married Susan Rosenheim, also of Oneonta.

Tom was honorably discharged in 1958 and returned to Oneonta to join his father’s insurance business, renaming their joint venture T.P & T.M. Hughson, Inc. During the 1970s, Tom was quick to recognize and embrace the potential of computer technology to revolutionize the insurance business. At the same time, he remained steadfast in his commitment to providing honest, personalized advice to all his customers, be they individuals, businesses, or school districts. As a result, T.P. & T.M. Hughson (now Hughson & Benson Associates) grew to become one of the area’s leading independent insurance agencies.

Throughout his life, Tom was active in local civic organizations, including the Rotary Club – where he was a member for more than 50 years – as well as the YMCA and the Boy Scouts. Starting in the 1990s, he joined and served as president of the State University College at Oneonta (SUCO) Foundation. Tom’s participation coincided with large increases in SUCO’s permanent endowment fund, supporting the needs of the college with a particular emphasis on scholarships. In 1999, SUCO awarded Tom an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree.

Tom spent nearly every summer of his adult life at his cottage on Otsego Lake, entertaining friends, teaching his sons and later his grandchildren to swim, fish, and boat, indulging his love of reading and photography, and going on daily walks. Following his divorce in 1989, Tom was out on the lake one blustery day when he spied a capsized sailboat and a damsel in distress. What started as a rescue ended as a romance, and Tom and Susan Mead Harman were married on December 26, 1992. Together they traveled widely and savored their time with one another, their children, and their grandchildren.

In addition to his wife Sue, Tom is survived by his sister, Florence Anne Millett, his sons Fred and Bill and their wives, four grandchildren, a niece, and a nephew.

At Tom’s request, services will be held privately at a later date.

Donations in Tom’s memory may be made to the State University College at Oneonta Foundation (suny.oneonta.edu/college-oneonta-foundation).

Online condolences may be sent to, www.lhpfuneralhome.com, the website of Oneonta’s only family owned funeral home, Lewis, Hurley & Pietrobono at 51 Dietz Street.