Our husband and loving father, John W. Hughes, 82, of Big Spring, a longtime local Optician, died on Saturday, October 12, 2002, in a local hospital. Funeral services will be at 2:00 PM Tuesday, October 15, 2002, at the Nalley-Pickle & Welch Rosewood Chapel with Rev. Johnny McCullough, pastor of Fitzhugh Baptist Church in Austin and Rev. Dennis Teeters, pastor of First Baptist Church in Big Spring, officiating. Interment will follow at Trinity Memorial Park. John was born on October 22, 1919 in Blair, Texas to Carl Hughes and Ida Belle Reynolds Hughes. He married Marie Kilgore on May 2, 1942 in Lubbock, Texas. Mr. Hughes served in the U. S. Army Air Corp during World War II in the Pacific Theater and had served on Biak Island in the Netherland East Indies. After the war he came back to Big Spring and lived here until he and his wife moved to Andrews in 1957. They returned in 1963 and opened Hughes Optical Dispensary and operated it until 1985 when he retired. He was a member of Airport Baptist Church and had served as Sunday School Superintendant, Deacon, and as the Intermediate Boys Teacher. He was a Past Commander and life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2013. John had also been appointed as chairman of the Selective Service Board #71 and was awarded the Meritorious Service Award in 1976 in recognition of his service. Mr. Hughes was a past president of the Andrews Rotary Club and a member of the Gideons. Survivors include his wife, Marie Hughes of Big Spring; one son and daughter-in-law, John Carrol and Marsha Hughes of Corsicanna; two daughters and one son-in-law, Sandra Woods of Big Spring, and Evelyn and Mark Wheeler of Rockwell; seven grandchildren, seven great grandchildren; one sister, Mary Lou Hayes of Merkel; two brother-in-laws and their wives, J. Gale and Sue Kilgore of Big Spring, and Benny and Ann Kilgore of Garland; one sister-in-law and husband, JoAnn and Eddie Bauer of South Weymouth, Massachusetts; aunts, Laverne Eliott, Nell Miller, Dorothy Hughes, Mary Louise Hughes; an uncle, Bill Hughes; cousins, Barbara Brooks, John and Valerie Reynolds, Patsy Raedel, Glenda and Dale Rutherford, Wanda and Gene Comer, Bill Reynolds, Lisa Hughes, and James Bird. He was preceded in death his parents, Carl Hughes and Ida Belle Reynolds Hughes, one sister, Carlene Hagood, one grandson, Kelley Woods, aunts, Comora Barrick and Mary Bird, an uncle John B. Hughes, and his step-mother, Nina Belle Hughes. John's grandsons will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Earl Smith, Tommy Mills, Dr. Don McGonagill, Dr. J. Gale Kilgore, Dr. Nell Sanders and Mrs. Allen (Erma) Hamilton. The family will receive friends from 6 PM to 7 PM Monday at the funeral home. The family suggest memorials be made to the Vietnam Memorial, P. O. Box 2854, Big Spring, Texas 79721-2854. Arrangements under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home of Big Spring. www.npwelch.com,
