Lillian Baake Hugelmeyer was born in Brooklyn, NY on June 21, 1937 to Bernhardt Baake and Clara Beuttgens. She moved to Lake Ronkonkoma, LI, NY when she was twelve years old and was the salutatorian of her graduating class at Port Jefferson High School. Her first job was at Grumman Aircraft Corp as a key punch operator.

On June 8, 1957, Lillian married Kurt Hugelmeyer and moved to Baltimore while Kurt finished dental school. While in Maryland, she worked at Hamburger & Sons Department Store and gave birth to her first child, Susan. In 1958, the couple moved back to Lake Ronkonkoma where they raised their family of five children and started a dental practice. Lillian was the office manager for the last eighteen years of the family’s thirty-seven-year private practice. During her children’s school years, she was active in the PTA, and along with the local school district, formed a Saturday cultural arts program, so children of all backgrounds and economic standing could have access to weekly music lessons.

In 1998, Lillian and Kurt retired to Sea Trail Golf Resort in Sunset Beach, NC. For many years, she served as the program chairman in the Garden Club at Sea Trails. She also started a Thursday Ladies Bridge Group which is still going strong today. Lillian was a volunteer tutor at Waccamaw Elementary School and worked in the gift shop at the Museum of Coastal Carolina. She was an active member of St. Brendan Catholic Church in Shallotte, where she sang in the choir and served as lector and Eucharistic Minister.

Throughout her life, Lillian was a voracious reader and loved needle work and cross stitching. She was also a lifelong advocate for women’s rights and a proud liberal Democrat who espoused the Christian values of love, compassion, non-violence and equity to anyone who would, or wouldn’t, listen.

She is survived by Kurt, her loving husband of sixty-four years, and two brothers, Bernie Baake of Durham, NC and Richie Baake of Lake Ronkonkoma, NY along with her five children, Susan of Glen Cove, NY, Frank of Vienna, VA, Carl of East Northport, NY, Paul of Palm Beach Gardens, FL and Heather of Plainview, NY and their beloved spouses Joe, Nancy, Michele, Kathy and Jason.

She was extraordinarily proud of her eight grandchildren and the extended family of many cousins, nieces and nephews, who loved her deeply. Lillian touched many lives and will be dearly missed.

There will be a service at Brunswick Funeral Home in Shallotte on Monday, April 26^th from 5-7:00 PM and a Mass at St. Brendan Church on Tuesday, April 27^th at 10:00 AM.

Masks will and social distancing will be observed.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.brunswickfuneralservice.com.

Brunswick Funeral Service, Shallotte