Hugh M. Mahaffy

Age: 95, Wilmington
Devoted father and loving husband

On Friday, July 21, 2017 Hugh M. Mahaffy died from injuries incurred in an accidental fall.

Hugh was pleased to note that he was a fourth generation Wilmingtonian and had effectively lived in only two houses during his life. He attended Tower Hill School where he played all sports but most notably football. Following that, he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at Lafayette College and joined the Consulting Engineering firm of Robert P. Shoenijahn in Wilmington after a very brief interval in Baltimore. Eventually he and a partner bought the firm and he ran it with a variety of partners until his retirement at age 85.

He was predeceased by his wife, Ruth Broadwater who died in 2011 of Parkinson’s disease after 54 years of marriage. Hugh was a dedicated husband and a loving father to his two children: H. William and Lynn A.

In 1961 he joined The Rotary Club of Wilmington and had an amazing 56 years of perfect attendance! He lived his life by the principles of a Rotarian and the 4 way test. He was dedicated to the organizations that he joined, being active and involved in most of them for the entirety of his adult life.

He was an active member of numerous organizations including the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), and the Delaware Association of Professional Engineers (DAPE) for whom he enjoyed proctoring exams. Hugh earned numerous awards and accolades from a range of organizations throughout his career and was an active member of Silverside Church (formerly Second Baptist Church) for all of his life. He was also a volunteer with the YMCA for many years and for the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation where he contributed enormous time and effort to the construction of Delaware’s Tall Ship.

Hugh was an avid and skilled sailor, having initially picked up the sport in summer camp in NY state and was a member of the Wilmington Sail and Power Squadron, serving as its Commander in 1960. He also enjoyed his association with the Georgetown Racing Fleet and the Elk River Yacht Club both of which gave him outlets to race sailboats and otherwise interact with other boaters. He participated in numerous sailboat races and offshore boat deliveries along the East coast. He loved being around the water in any capacity, whether at his family’s summer place in Rehoboth or helping run his father-in-law’s boat basin early in his marriage and thereafter puttering about, mowing and burning leaves at his cottage on the Elk River.

He is survived by his two children; son H. William of Charlestown, MD and daughter Lynn of Wilmington as well as grandchildren Arin and Brody Mahaffy.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 6 Herndon Avenue, Annapolis, MD 21403 (www.cbf.org) or to an organization that you believe exemplifies his interests and values.