Betty Nell Hughes, age 88 of Prosper, Texas passed away on September 23, 2026 surrounded by her loved ones. She was born on September 11, 1938 in McKinney, Texas to Bert and Faye Hodges.
She grew up in the Walnut Grove community on the family farm that was located on a gravel road now known as Custer Road. She attended school in Prosper, which at the time was a town of 250 people. She graduated from Prosper High School in 1956. While there, she played basketball for the varsity team and was also a Majorette.
After high school, Betty went to Denton, Texas to attend North Texas State College (now the University of North Texas). She earned her bachelors and masters degrees from North Texas. After graduation, she began her teaching career in Odessa, Texas. She later taught school in Irving, before getting hired at the McKinney Independent School District. She started teaching 2nd grade at Fanny Finch Elementary in McKinney in 1965. She taught there from 1965-1977 and while there, was awarded the Teacher of the Year award for the Fanny Finch School. She then began the second phase of her career when she became the curriculum coordinator for the elementary schools, a position she held until she retired in 1989.
During her teaching career, Betty was actively involved in several teaching organizations and was a member of the Texas State Teachers Association, McKinney Classroom Teachers Association, and McKinney Business & Professional Women's Club. She was also involved in the Delta Kappa Gamma Society, and was President of the Omicron Chi chapter of Beta Sigma Phi from 1979-1980.
On December 30, 1982, Betty married James A. (Jim) Hughes from Prosper, at the First United Methodist Church in McKinney, Texas. After their marriage, Jim and Betty lived in McKinney, Texas until moving back to Prosper in 1995. In Prosper, they joined the Prosper United Methodist Church and quickly became involved in the community. They attended high school sporting events and volunteered around the community with their time and resources. Betty was also a member of the Prosper Historical Society, the Prosper Garden Club, and the Prosper Book Club. In 2016, both Jim and Betty were honored by the Prosper Independent School District, with the opening of the Jim and Betty Hughes Elementary School. Betty loved her namesake school and would attend as many events there as she could and was well known for making brownies and taking them up to the school for the staff to enjoy.
Betty was loved by everyone in the community, and was always eager to go and do as much as she could. As she got older, her good friends would come and pick her up for bingo, or the city council meetings, or the other activities she enjoyed in and around Prosper. Her family wishes to thank her friends, Betty Stewart, Jana Thomson, Margaret Scott, Christy Kreger, John & Linda Guthrie, Jan Brown, Carol Canterbury, Christie Hughes, Rebecca Hunter, Linda Baker, and countless other friends who supported Betty over the years.
Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Jim Hughes, her parents Bert and Faye Hodges, her four brothers, C.P. Snider, H.T. Snider, Jr., Don Hodges, and Jimmy Hodges.
She is survived by her son, Marty Matthews and Claudia Bernal, her daughter, Lequita Kinder and husband, Mark, grandchildren, Natalie Pierce and husband, Steven, Wesley Kinder and Kevin Kinder and wife, Rachel, sisters in law, Patsy Snider, Nancy Hodges, Jerry Ann Gentle, and Lynda Hughes, cousin, Nancy Hillis and many other loving nieces, nephews, cousins, and other relatives. The family wishes to thank her caregiver, Musenge Makasa who made her life much easier in her final months.
A graveside service will be held at 9:30 a.m., Friday October 2, 2026, at Walnut Grove Cemetery in Prosper, with the memorial service to be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, October 2, 2026 at the Prosper United Methodist Church, located at 1801 Lanier Way, Prosper, Texas 75078. The service will be followed by lunch at the Prosper Community Room at Prosper ISD Children's Health Stadium located at 2000 Stadium Drive, Prosper, Texas 75078.
Memorial contributions may be made in Betty’s honor to the following: Betty Hughes Scholarship through the Prosper Methodist Church or; The Prosper Historical Society.