Life Story: Hugh Cady
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A death in the family is always difficult. But when we share memories of our loved ones, it often eases the pain.
Hugh Cady's life was cut short in July after he was in a motorcycle accident.
He was well known in the Twin Cities real estate community because it was his job to make sure agents followed the rules and regulations.
And as we found out, he was also a family man who loved to spend time with his husband and his grandchildren.
It is not often you hear about someone getting married three times. And it is certainly rare to marry the same person three times.
But Hugh and Mark Cady did just that.
"We wanted to bond, and we wanted to prove to the community that we had a bond and we wanted to prove to the community that we had the legitimate love," Mark said. "And it was a very big deal for us."
The couple's first wedding was in Minneapolis in 1995, many years before gay marriage was legal in Minnesota. The second was in Portland, Oregon in 2004.
And then they tied the knot again in Minneapolis in 2013, once the law changed in the state,
"I think people looked up to us because we were such a strong couple," Mark said. "My mother, who originally objected to my gayness, when she met him that just all melted away. And they welcomed him. First gay member of our family, besides me. First black member of our family."
Hugh's career in real estate put him in frequent contact with agents. He led the rules and regulations team for MLS, and he did it with joy.
Tammi Roach is the managing broker at North Suburban Edina Realty in North Oaks.
"We're going to miss a very passionate man in our industry," Tammi said.
If a realtor made a mistake documenting data or following procedure, it was Hugh who handed out the punishment.
"And even though he was in a position where he had to give you a fine or this or that, he would always, you know, come back and laugh and be happy about it, and [ask] 'What did you learn from this?'" Tammi said.
Alesia Gray also worked with Hugh over the phone and during his visits to her office.
"He lit up a room, he had a beautiful smile. He just had a wonderful personality," Alesia said. "Some of the agents called him 'the MLS police,' but the thing is is that he was always fair."
And they say he was always smiling. He loved talking about his grandchildren, and spending time playing games with them.
Mark says Hugh was riding his motorcycle to work when he was rear-ended by a truck on Highway
280.
The Minnesota State Patrol is still investigating what happened, but it has Hugh's loved ones thinking about the dangers of distracted driving.
"We're all driving around and nobody's paying attention," Mark said. "And we need to get that back because there's going to be more and more accidents like this."
Hugh Cady was 57 when he died from the injuries he sustained in that motorcycle accident. His death came on July 23, one day after his birthday.
Click here to visit Hugh's Caring Bridge site.
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