Hughes' sister, Frieda, announced to CNN the untimely passing of her younger brother. Nicholas had a long-standing battle with depression, with his mother, Sylvia Plath committing suicide in 1963 by putting her head into a gas oven in their London home as her children slept in the next room. He was 47 years old and up until recently was a marine biologist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, according to The Times Online.
Frieda explained him to CNN as "a loving brother, a loyal friend to those who knew him and, despite the vagaries that life threw at him, he maintained an almost childlike innocence and enthusiasm for the next project or plan."
Hughes was only a baby when his mother killed herself. Many Plath supporters blame her husband, Ted Hughes for her suicide since Ted had left Sylvia for the wife of another poet, Assia Wevill. She too would gas herself along with her daughter, Shura, in an apparent copy-cat suicide in 1969.
Despite the tragedy that has surrounded the man's family, those closest to the family are quick to dismiss any sort of idea of remembering Nicholas Hughes as a sort of tragic figure. He had lived to be a man in his late forties with a strong career, having been responsible for revamping the faculty at UAF while making contributions to the field of ecology. He was considered a prominent Alaskan biologist.
Sylvia Plath October 27, 1932–February 11, 1963
She was an American poet and author. One of her most well-known works is the Bell Jar, which chronicles the life and mental status of Esther, a young woman who moves to New York for an internship. There are noticeable parallels between Plath's and her main character's life throughout the novel. Plath is now buried in Heptonstall churchyard. Her supporters have repeatedly vandalized her tombstone by scraping "Hughes" off of it.
Ted Hughes August 17, 1930 – October 28,1998
He was an English poet and childrens writer. Outside of his work, he was known as being a notorious womanizer who was often accused of driving Plath and Wevill to their untimely deaths. Despite his personal life, Hughes was a successful writer who went on to attain the Order of Merit from Queen Elizabeth II shortly before his own death. In 1998, Hughes published Birthday Letters, a collection of poetry concerning his life with Sylvia Plath. Soon after, he passed away from a sudden heart attack while battling terminal cancer. He was later cremated and his ashes scattered.
Frieda Rebecca Hughes April 1, 1960
She is the eldest child of Sylvia and Ted. In 1988, Frieda moved to Australia were she remained, working on her painting until her father was diagnosed with cancer which prompted her return to the UK. She is a graduate of Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, holding a Bachelor of Arts degree.
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