Ridgway Catlin Hughes was born October 16, 1910, in Haddon Heights, New Jersey, the son of Henry Albert Jr. and Edna Burr (Catlin) Hughes. He had two brothers, Horace Henry born December 5, 1905 in Philadelphia, and Henry Albert III born August 6 1913.
The family, through the father's ancestry, were listed in the book, "Mayflower Descendants in Cape May County, New Jersey" by Rev. Paul Sturtevant Howe. They were descended from one of the original pilgrims- John Howland.
In 1920 the family was living at 107 Eighth Avenue in Haddon Heights, where their father worked as a manufacturer of syrup.
Ridgway attended Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania for two years. He pledged the Delta Sigma fraternity, and appeared in the 1930 Commencement play. His father died in November of 1930, possibly a contributing factor why Ridgway did not graduate.
Ridgway, like his older brother Horace, went to work in the field of advertising, and in 1940 was living in Philadelphia working for a cellophane manufacturer. He was married to a young woman named Susan, and they made their home in the Roosevelt Apartments in Philadelphia.
In 1942 Ridgway was living at 444 Park Avenue in Manhattan. He was still listed at that address when he enlisted in the New York Guard, Co. G, 7th Regt. He signed up for two years, but only served from February to June...when he was apparently called up for active duty during WWII. He was listed in May of 1943 as a Lieutenant on the register of Commissioned and Warrant Naval and Reserve Officers. He remained on their rolls until his retirement in January of 1956, with the final rank of Lieutenant JG.
In 1949 he was listed in the Manhattan City Directory at 233 E. 54th Street.
Ridgway Catlin Hughes died July 22, 1982, at Bellevue Hospital Center, and was buried on Hart Island.
Sources: US Social Security Death Index; US, School Yearbooks, 1880-2012; Mayflower Descendants in Cape May County, NJ; US City Directories, 1822-1995; US, Select Military Registers, 1862-1985; NY, NY Guard Service Cards, 1906-1918, 1940-1948; 1920, 1930 and 1940 US Federal Censuses.