Mary Nell Cooper Hughes Elmore, age 90, passed away on September 7, 2026, at the John Knox Nursing Home in Montgomery, Alabama. Mary Nell was a 1954 graduate of Pisgah High School and a 1976 graduate of Northeast State Community College.
As an adult, she lived in Pisgah, Rainsville, Scottsboro, and Huntsville where she worked as a bookkeeper and accountant. Only recently did she move to Montgomery to be close to family as her health declined.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Willie and Jewel Cooper of Pisgah; daughter, Kay Hughes Leake, son, Stephens Hughes; husbands, Bobby Hughes and Kenneth Elmore; sisters, Lovelda Sims and Willena Cooper; brother, Bill Cooper; and son-in-law, Don Leake.
She is survived by her son, Col. John Hughes (Judy); daughter, Cynthia Hughes Harper; grandson, Billy Harper; granddaughters, Katie Jackson (Josh), Amanda Fisher (Gavin), Emily Lawton (Andy), and Allison Harper; great-granddaughters, Kennedy, Carolina, Brynnlee, and Ellie; and her sister-in-law, Wanda Cooper.
In addition to spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Mary Nell loved to travel. She made numerous trips around the US, but the most notable trip she ever made was to Guam, Japan and Hawaii.
The family will receive friends at Scottsboro Funeral Home on Thursday, September 10, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.and Funeral Services will be held on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Scottsboro Funeral Home. Burial will follow at the Pisgah Cemetery.
