William Lyon Hughes, M.D.

William Lyon Hughes M.D. (78), died on January 6, 2011. He was born in Kearney, Nebraska to Herald and Kathleen Compere Hughes on March 18, 1932. He moved to Oklahoma as a small child and lived in Clinton, Lawton, Oklahoma City, Springfield and Bolivar, Missouri, Enid, and Tulsa, returning to Oklahoma City in 1953 where he remained until his death. He graduated from Will Rogers High School, Tulsa, and did his undergraduate studies at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He attended The University of Oklahoma School of Medicine in OKC, graduating in 1957. He interned at the University of Virginia Hospital, Charlottesville, Virginia, and then returned to the University of Oklahoma hospitals where he served as a Resident in Internal Medicine, a Research Fellow in Hematology, and Chief Resident in Medicine, completing his postgraduate training in 1962. He practiced Internal Medicine/Hematology-Oncology in Oklahoma City from 1962 until his retirement on 12-31-97. Dr. Hughes was a member of Alpha Omega Alpha medical scholarship fraternity, a Fellow of the American College of Physicians (serving as governor to the College from Oklahoma 1983-1987), a member of the American Society Of Internal Medicine, American Society of Hematology, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Southwest Oncology Group, New York Academy of Science, Oklahoma County, and State and American Medical Associations. He was also a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the OU College of Medicine, was Chairman of the Volunteer Faculty Advisory Committee of the Department of Medicine from its inception until his retirement, and both served on the Board of Admissions for many years and was the first official Chairman of that board. He loved the College of Medicine and teaching students and house staff. Dr. Hughes was an active staff member of Wesley Hospital, subsequently Presbyterian Hospital, helped design the current Presbyterian Hospital, and served on/chaired a number of committees at Presbyterian over 25 years. He then moved to Mercy Medical Center where he practiced until his retirement, serving as Chief of the Medical Staff of Mercy from 1995 thru 1997. He loved Mercy and the Sisters of Mercy. He received the Laureate Award in Internal Medicine from the American College of Physicians in Oklahoma and was honored by the OU College of Medicine Alumni Association as the Physician of the year in Practice in 2000. Dr. Hughes' community interests included The Oklahoma Philharmonic, Oklahoma City Museum of Art, the Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Museum, Smithsonian Institute, American Indian Museum, and The National Holocaust Museum. His interest in art was evident in establishing the art program at Presbyterian Hospital, introducing many local artists to the public with monthly hangings of their work on the "yellow wall" and an annual "Evening of Art" show for the public. In 1985 he and Gerry Collins-Hughes received the Governor's Community Service Art Award for those efforts. He was an avid collector of western and Indian art and shared many of his prized pieces with his patients in his office and exam rooms. Dr. Hughes was also an avid bird hunter and fisherman, his favorites being fishing for salmon and halibut in Alaska and chasing turkeys all over western Oklahoma. He married Ann Leithead of Scarsdale, New York in 1954. From this union, Hilary Beth, Leslie Ann, and David Lyon were born. He is survived by his best friend and wife, Geralyn (Gerry) Collins-Hughes; daughter Hilary and husband Stanley Young of Austin, Texas; daughter Leslie and husband Tod Hardin of OKC; son David of OKC; four grandchildren, Katie Hardin, and Ryan, Blair, and Hannah Hughes; brother Herald Hughes and wife Josephine of North Carolina; brother-in-law Jim Gigoux and wife Mary of Sacramento, CA; his extended family, Gregory and Rebecca Lowber-Collins, OKC; Christopher and Amy Collins, Arcadia; grandchildren Kjelshus and Ari Collins, Kelly and Caroline Collins, and Jack Wagner; many nephews, nieces, and cousins; and a host of friends and former patients. He wanted to thank his parents, family, teachers, colleagues, and friends for a great ride.