Obit: Former SYAG President, Mother of 6: Catherine Huggins

Catherine Huggins, one of the first presidents of the Sachem Youth Advisory Group, and a resident of Farmingville for 50 years, has died at the age of 74.

Her son, Bruce Huggins, informed us of her death through a message on our Facebook page.

"My mom Catherine Huggins, passed away Monday 7/16/2012," the message reads. "For those who have prayed for my mom we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Mom went home to be with the Lord today."

Huggins had six children, all boys: Bruce, Larry, Brian, Michael, Raymond and Kenneth. According to Bruce Huggins, his father, a professional golfer, was away from home for large chunks of time and the family struggled financially. With six boys, the annual fees to play intramural sports was prohibitive, but when Catherine learned that the children of volunteers in the organization could play for free, Catherine signed up. She would later become president of SYAG.

All six of her children played sports through SYAG, and all graduated from Sachem High School, from 1977 to 1988. Catherine and her husband went their separate ways in the early 1970s, but according to Bruce Huggins, she found a way to keep everything afloat.

"I know I'm biased," Huggins stated in an email, "but she raised six boys by herself, with my youngest brother 10 years my junior, kept her house, all went to college, and she found a way to help run SYAG. She was a remarkable woman."

Catherine Huggins is survived by two sisters: Irene Muller and Joan Bergen, six children, five grandchildren: Chas Huggins, Justin Ryne Huggins, Jason Huggins, Cailyn Huggins, Jack Huggins, one great-grandchild: Tanner Jacob Huggins, her brother-in-law: Richard Bergen and Vera Venturino, along with three daughter-in-laws: Charlene Huggins, Michelle Huggins and Donna Huggins, as well as a niece Lori Bergen, and countless cousins.