“It's impossible to describe what Sean Hughes meant to Aces Nation and the Lower Merion Community.

He was our principal, yes. But he was so much more than that. Our most loyal friend. Our biggest cheerleader. Our partner in crime.

Huuuughes was the ultimate Ace.

"Character counts" wasn't just a slogan, it was what he lived and modeled every day -- as an educator, a leader, and a husband and father. Through every challenge and tragedy, in our greatest moments of joy and achievement, and especially in those small moments when it shouldn't have mattered at all, Mr. Hughes was there. With a hug, a high-five, or a knowing smile.

He lifted us up, made us believe, and showed us how to be our best selves.

Hughes understood what being a high school kid was like. He believed in rules, but also understood reality. Skipping school for that once-in-a-lifetime World Series parade was technically a cut, but Hughes winked at you on the way out the door and told you to have fun. He trusted you'd generally make the right decision, and in return, you respected and trusted him.

He just got it.

As a teacher, an athletic director, an assistant principal, and principal -- in every role he served -- Hughes put the students and staff of Lower Merion first. He cared deeply about us and he worked his tail off to give us his best, every single day. It seems inconceivable, unfair, and beyond tragic that he is gone. We are devastated and heartbroken. And while we may never be able to process the loss of LM's greatest principal and leader, we know that Mr. Hughes' evtraordinary legacy will live on in the generations of Aces he touched and impacted.

Our love, thoughts and prayers are with the Hughes family now and always. Sean, we love you. You are and will forever be Lower Merion.”

- Aces Basketball

All day social media has been filled with stories about how incredibly kind and full of character Mr. Hughes was.

If he had been just a principal to us we would be able to think of his family, wish them the best and move on.

But he was more than that.

We all want his memory to live on forever. With the new middle school opening in the fall we can think of no better way to honor such an important man in our lives than to name the new middle school “Sean Hughes Memorial Middle School”