Lana Beth Hough Ferguson, 73, of Guilford passed away on Wednesday, April 29th, surrounded by her family. Lana and her husband Richard Ferguson celebrated fifty years of marriage on June 13, 2014. She was born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, to Melvin S. Hough and Irene Hough Menges. In addition to her husband and her mother, Lana is survived by her sons, Kirk, Todd (Lea) and Scott (Evette), nine grandchildren: Holland, Asa, Brooks, Henry, Reed, Grant, Isaiah, Elias and Sloane Ferguson; her brother Les Hough (Barbara), her uncle John Miller, her cousins Janet Grenzke and Betsy Cooper, her step-sister Martha Dickey (Bill), her brother-in-law Philip Ferguson (Norma) and many nieces and nephews. She was pre-deceased by her father, brother Melvin S. Hough, Jr., grandson Simon Ferguson, stepfather David J. Menges and stepbrother David E. Menges.

After graduating from Allegheny College she received a Masters' of Library Science from the University of Pittsburgh. She worked for 22 years at the Guilford Free Library, first as Director of Children's Services and subsequently as Assistant Director of the Library. With a deep commitment to the service mission of public libraries, Lana was actively engaged statewide with other public libraries, serving as Chair of the Southern Connecticut Library Council and with the Connecticut Library Association as a member of the legislative affairs committee and Chair of the 1997 annual conference. In 1992 she received the Connecticut Library Association's Faith Hektoen Children's Librarian of the Year Award for career achievement. She also served on the Connecticut State Library's Taskforce on Library Standards. As Assistant Director she represented the Library on the Guilford Chamber of Commerce, where for many years she organized the Chamber's Calendar of Christmas Holiday Activities.

Lana was an extraordinary daughter, wife, mother, grandmother and friend. A believer in the positive potential of every person and the joyful possibilities of any situation, Lana felt she had been gifted with a wonderful life. Her enthusiasm for experience and the delight she took in relationships were contagious. She will be missed by all whose lives she touched.

The family would like to thank Wajih Zaheer, M.D, Erin Medoff, APRN, and all the staff of the Smilow Cancer Center in Guilford for the skilled and compassionate care they provided to Lana over the last eleven months.

A memorial service will be held at the 1st Congregational Church of Guilford on Saturday, May 16th at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers Lana requested that donations be made to the Lana and Simon Ferguson Children's Book Fund of the Guilford Free Library, 67 Park Street, Guilford, Connecticut 06437. To sign the online guestbook please visit hawleylincolnmemorial.com.