October 13, 1944- August 20, 2011

When I think of Dad, many magnificent qualities come to mind.  One of which is hard work.  Dad didn’t feel like he had put in an honest day’s labor if he didn’t come home dirty, sweaty, and bloody.  He would always come home with at least a couple new cuts or scratches which he usually didn’t even realize he had.  Dad gave us kids the opportunity to also come home from work dirty, sweaty, and sometimes bloody during those days working at the car wash.  Dad taught us that work was a good thing, something to not take for granted.  Thank you, Dad.

Dad was also a spiritual man.  He honored the priesthood he held and taught us to honor it too.  Dad served faithfully in all of his church callings.  Through his example, I have learned that when the Lord calls, you answer.  He had a strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and enjoyed discussing gospel principles.  Over the last couple of years my Dad was an instructor in the High Priest group and I was a Relief Society Instructor, we taught the same lessons and enjoyed studying the lesson material and discussing it together.  Dad’s spiritual example also taught me the important things to look for in a husband of my own.   Because of Him, I have been blessed with a husband who loves the Lord as much as my Dad did.  Thank you, Dad.

Compassion is another quality my father understood.  My Dad had a compassion for mankind like no one else I know.  I remember as a child watching my Dad come home one night.  It was late and I saw him in the kitchen putting together some cheese sandwiches and wrapping them up.  I asked him what he was doing and he told me that he had seen a homeless family the night before a few blocks away and he didn’t have anything with him at the time to give them.  He was hoping that he could go back and find them to offer some food.  We didn’t have much at the time and I remember thinking how generous my father was at offering a humble cheese sandwich to someone with less than us.  Thank you, Dad. 

My Dad could also be silly.  He was really good at making up little rhymes and songs off the top of his head.  They were usually about us kids.  Doo Dah Dan and French Fry Freddy are oldies but goodies in the Hughes household, but my favorite will always be the one about his St. George Girl, that’s me.  Family Home Evening charades that ended in a trip to Thrifty for Ice Cream and socks in a pan were always fun.  He also loved playing with the grandchildren.  His latest game was chasing my son around with a tickle claw saying “belly good”.  Thank you, Dad.

Silliness, Compassion, Spirituality, and Hard Work are just a small few of the many magnificent qualities that Dad embodied.  I will forever be grateful to my Heavenly Father for blessing me with a Dad that understood what life was about and lived it perfectly. 

 I know that our Father in Heaven lives.  I know he loves us, I know that my Dad has found rest in him and I will be with him again.