Remembering James J. Hughes

Our family has another hole in its heart. The death of Jenny’s dad, Jim, is a welcome relief in many ways. He just hasn’t been himself the past several months. The hospitalizations, the doctor visits, the fatigue associated with his health finally took its toll. I’m well aware many of you know what I am talking about. I am so grateful his walk with Jesus was so sure and certain. He valued the Christian faith and made sure his family knew the importance of Jesus Christ as Savior, Guide and Friend.

Because he meant so much to me, I want to take some time and space in the Chimes to tell you about him. Among the churches we have had the privilege to serve, you knew him the least. The few times he was able to attend he really wasn’t feeling all that well. Knowing him like I do and how I know you, I believe you would have really enjoyed him. He had easy, engaging, way with others. Jenny dearly loved him and so did I.

I first met Jim before I knew his daughter. I was a reporter for the local newspaper and he was a member of the Syracuse, Indiana, Town Board. When I covered those laborious meetings, Jim was always there. I rarely could quote him because he didn’t say a whole lot. I would learn later that is a Hughes’ trait. Jim, in some situations, was a man of few words.

Yet, Jim would quietly take in all the proceedings around him and carefully considered the issues at hand. He was calm and thoughtful. Besides, at that time, the president of the town board did nothing but talk. Each board member was assigned to a particular department in the town. Jim was assigned the Park Department. In those days the Park Department was small and governed by a group of volunteers. It was an easy place to cut funding and support. Jim, though, had a way of keeping the department alive. He did not waiver from his duty.

Something we recently learned about Jim since his death reveals a lot about his character. He invited a local physician to attend Sunday School with him many years ago at our home church, St. Andrew’s United Methodist. Dr. Jack P. Clark wrote a wonderful letter about how grateful he was to be invited to church by Jim. That one invitation was a spark that ignited many years of faithful service to Christ. Dr. Clark went on to become one of the most dedicated adult teachers I have ever met. I am reminded about the story of Andrew – my home church’s namesake – the brother of Peter, who invited his brother to meet the Lord. When Peter became one of the disciples of Jesus, it changed the world forever. Dr. Clark went on to become one of the most dedicated adult teachers I have ever met. We never know how powerful a simple invitation might mean to the cause of Christ. This is a perfect example of how Jim operated in his life. He was a faithful, quiet, and effective man.

Like so many of the “Greatest Generation,” Jim is one of the many World War 2 veterans who have left us. Each year, the United States loses thousands of veterans from that perilous time in U.S. history. Because he was a college graduate, he was pressed into duty as the second-in-command of a minesweeper known as the U.S.S. Salute in the South Pacific. He was aboard the ship when an explosion took the lives of several sailors below deck. The explosion caused the ship to sink. Jim, though, escaped injury.

I remember the tears that formed in Jim’s eyes when he recalled that fateful day. A reunion of his shipmates occurred in 1987. The wound ran deep, but the survivors and family members pulled together to support one another. Again, in his own quiet style, Jim rose to the occasion as co-organizer of those annual gatherings.

When I received my call to ministry, I was really looking for some guidance from family and friends. In fact, I was expecting them to say something such as “You are crazy!” Instead, Jim’s response was short and brief. “I wondered how long it was going to take before you figured this out,” he said.

Of course, I will always remember Jim. He sang in our wedding. He gave of himself in countless ways to support us in our marriage – especially during those early years. In fact, he single-handedly (I was of no help) built an addition to the only home we ever owned. He did all that work just to watch us sell it later so I could pursue a seminary education. I never heard him complain.

These are just a few of the many qualities I admired about Jim. He was Jenny’s father, but in many ways he was my father too. (Thanks Sue Ann for reminding me of that.)