With profound sadness, deep love and a gratitude for a life well lived, the family of Carol Lynne Hughes Pastore announced her passing on June 29 from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Diseases. She was 69 years old.
Although the disease robbed her of her mobility and shortened her life, it never took away her faith, sense of humor, kindness or generosity of spirit and love for her family and friends.
Carol began life in her hometown of Felton, remaining loyal to her quaint small town throughout her lifetime. Briefly, she lived in New Jersey but always had intentions of returning to her roots. She graduated from Lake Forest High School in 1974. Her career choice led her into banking at the Felton Bank and J.C. Penney National Bank. She discovered her true calling later in life when she graduated from Catonsville Community College with a degree in mortuary science.
For 27 years, Carol worked at Berry-Short Funeral Home. Her dedication and devotion to the families she served in the funeral industry was exemplary. Her colleagues and families she served loved her. She continued to serve in the funeral industry in a different capacity when she went to work for William V. Sipple and Son Monuments in Milford as a sales consultant. She retired in June 2025, just five months before her diagnosis.
Carol is survived by her sisters, Sandra (Rob) Kramer of Dover; Pamela (David) Kaplan of Lewes with whom she lived; Jennifer (Wesley) Herholdt of Milford; Deborah (James) Smith of Felton; her nieces and nephews to whom she was devoted; her companion of 16 years, John Pender; and her amazing group of girlfriends with whom she shared over 50 years of friendship.
She was preceded in death by her loving husband, George Carey “Hack” Haggerty; her parents, Margaret and Charles Ware; her biological father, Mervin Hughes and her brothers, Ronald and Larry Hughes.
A celebration of life will be held on Friday, July 10, 2026, at 1 PM at Calvary Wesleyan Church, Harrington, where a time of visitation for friends and family will begin at 11 AM. Internment will be private.
Many thanks to the amazing team at the Weinberg ALS Clinic at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia for the excellent care they provided as well as the Delaware Hospice Center staff for their compassionate care.
In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to ALS United, Team Gleason, the research team of Dr. Hristilena Ilieva at the Weinberg ALS Center and Delaware Hospice.
