Katherine “Kay” Hughes Dennett

Katherine Hughes-Dennett, known as Kay to her friends, age 73, of Greece, NY, passed away peacefully on January 13, 2026.

She is survived by her loving husband Charles; her son Patrick Dennett and his wife Sarah Feldman; son Steven Dennett and his wife Emily and grandson Teddy; her brother Tom Hughes and his wife Sharon; her mother-in-law Shirley Dennett; and her brothers-in law Robert Dennett and his wife Jan, and Bill Dennett and his wife Deborah.  She is also survived by  nephews Casey, Eric, Mark and Jonathan and niece Samantha,  She was predeceased by her parents Kenneth and Grace Hughes and her father-in-law Russell Dennett

Kay was born in Rochester and grew up in Palmyra, NY.  She attended Alfred State College and later the Rochester Institute of Technology.  She and Charles met when they both worked at Eastman Kodak.  They were married in 1980 and shared a wonderful 45 year marriage.

After the birth of their son Patrick, Kay left work to stay home with him.  Following the birth of their second son, Steven, she returned to work at her local library. An avid reader who loved libraries, Kay set her sights on becoming a librarian and returned to school, first earning a degree in English Literature from SUNY Brockport and then a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University at Buffalo.

Kay became a librarian with the Greece, NY library system and eventually advanced to branch manager.  She later served as the library director for Ogden, NY and then as the library director for Hamlin, NY.  While in Hamlin she led a team that successfully built a new library for the town.  Kay loved meeting, helping and talking with library patrons and she especially enjoyed interacting with the children during story hour and the annual summer reading programs.  

Kay was an active member of Bethany Presbyterian Church in Greece, NY where she served on several committees, was a liturgical deacon, and served as a Stephen Minister.

While at RIT, Kay formed friendships that endured for more than 50 years. Many of those friends remained in the Rochester area, raising families alongside one another, and those relationships remained deeply cherished throughout her life.  

Kay loved reading and visiting book stores. In addition to buying a book or two she could not resist leaving without several bookmarks as well.  She also loved going to the movies, particularly science fiction and action adventure films.  Kay and Charles were long time subscribers to the Rochester Broadway Theater League and enjoyed countless musical productions that came to the Rochester area.  She also enjoyed attending the occasional Rochester Philharmonic pops concert.

The family would like to thank the staff of the Special Care Unit at St Ann’s Community for their compassionate care.  They are truly angels.

A memorial service for Kay will be held in the spring.  In lieu of flowers, friends are welcome to make donations to the Alzheimer’s Association (https://www.alz.org/) or to Bethany Presbyterian Church, 3000 Dewey Ave, Rochester, NY 14616.