Floy Henderson Hughes

Floy Henderson Hughes, born April 7, 1922 in Frederick, OK to Newman and Ethel (Justus) Hughes, passed away December 26, 2010. There is no way to sum up Floy's 88 years of life in this space. It would be impossible to describe his service and devotion to his family right here, from his youth, raised during the great depression in SW OK, at 12 years old driving a wagon filled with cotton from his father's field to the cotton gin, a trip that took all day by himself, and later at 14 when he drove the family car because his own father didn't drive, the days of delivering newspapers for $5.00 per month, to his days in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC's) around the Wichita Mountains, to Craterville Park and Hatfields where he courted our Mother and then after induction in the Military they married on 11/6/1942 and he left for training a few days later. The story of his life can't be told by the months the two of them spent together in New Mexico at an Army/Air Force base in Roswell, his infantry training at Camp Livingston, LA, hitchhiking to Ft. Meade, MA so he could send his travel pay home, and then being shipped to LaHavre, France, where he served there, Czechoslovakia, and Germany in the 1st army Division (The Big Red One), and then spending 17 days on a cattle ship back to NYC, a train ride to Ft. Chaffee, AR where he was honorably discharged. His life wasn't defined by his career in the grocery business with Safeway, and then later in the Food Brokerage industry, but his life was dedicated to taking care of his family. He was of "the greatest generation" but his greatest accomplishment wasn't recognized by worldly standards but by his day by day walk as a "Dad, a brother, an uncle, a son, and as a granddad". There are no questions from any in his family about his priorities. He had no hobbies, no outside interest, and may have seemed uninteresting to the outside, but to his family he set the bar so high as a family man we can only hope to one day be thought of in the same way. Floy was preceded in death by his wife, Deola, parents, his two sisters, Charlcie and Ruby, his brother Floyd or "Shorty" as his family called him. He is survived by his brother Paul of San Antonio, TX, his four children, Larry and Beckie of Edmond, Mike and Kathy of Bethany, Rick and Veronica of Mustang, and Cheryl and Greg Calavan of Austin, TX. He also has nine grandchildren, Julie Brooks, Cheri Stockton, Jennifer Hurt, Ryan Hughes, Zachary Hughes, Joshua Hughes, Brandon Hughes, and Brooks and Trent Calavan. Floy was also blessed with eleven precious great grandchildren. Floy lived his life the way we all hope and aspire to, to be called at the end of our lives, simply, a family man who loved the Lord and his family more than anything else. We are thankful for those who helped and cared for Floy during these last months, especially to Camelle who lovingly cared for him when he couldn't care for himself.