John Hughes Obituary

In Loving Memory of John Thomas Hughes III
John Hughes of Springfield, Missouri, passed away peacefully on October 26th, 2024, at the age of 84, surrounded by his loving family. John was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1940 to parents John and Rita Hughes. He was the oldest son of 9 children. He spent his youth playing, studying, and working in the exciting city of Brooklyn in the days following WWII. The consummate scholar, he attended Immaculata High School in Manhattan, New York, graduating at the age of 16. He studied at Catholic seminary at Christ the King in upstate New York, with ordination in 1966. He served in the parishes of St. Brendan's in Brooklyn and Our Lady of Lourdes in Queens Village, NY. After departure from the priesthood, he became an alcoholism counselor, eventually promoting to the Director of Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation for the New York City Fire Department. He married his wife, Maureen, and attended carpentry college at night. Eventually he made the leap to the world of business, working over ten years on Wall Street and in South Florida as a bonds salesman. Ever flexible, transition brought him to the streets of South Beach, Miami, selling his wife's homemade breads. Building their own business, John and Maureen ran an independent artisan bakery for ten years. Retirement brought him to San Diego, CA, for ten years before his ultimate move to Springfield, Missouri, with his wife and daughter.
Among John's greatest achievements was his sobriety, of which he celebrated 52 years. He counseled and mentored countless individuals in the ways of addiction, faith, and the intersection of the two. He was a trusted confidant of countless individuals, always willing to lend an ear. He was a man of immense faith, known to read the writings of his favorite saints in the middle of a crowded room or at the end of a soccer field. Retirement brought him travels to his children's military duty stations both domestic and abroad. As long as his wife was at his side, he was poised to travel anywhere in the world. His pursuits toward the end of life involved dutifully chauffeuring his dear grandchildren Rose and Luke in his Jeep.
Second only to his faith was his dedication to family. John celebrated 48 years of marriage to his wife, Maureen, with whom he had three, children: Meghan (Seago), John, and Holly (Malanga). He celebrated and dearly loved his two sons in law, Jeff Seago and Jonathan Malanga.
A Catholic mass followed by a celebration of John's life will be held on Saturday 9 November at 10am at St. Agnes Cathedral, 533 S Jefferson Ave, Springfield, MO 65806.