William Hughes, Jr.

Creative, ingenious, innovativethat was Bill Hughes. These traits along with his marriage to Barbara combined to give Bill a life that was exciting, fun and interesting. Bill never met a topic that he didnt enjoy exploring and he delighted in sharing that information with family and his many good friends. In his later years, he frequently ordered DVD courses in topics ranging from religion to astronomy. Bill died Friday morning, September 6, 2013 at age 89. William J. Hughes, Jr. was born to Lucile DeRussey Hughes and William J. Hughes, Sr. in Gloster, Mississippi. He began LSU but interrupted his education to serve as a 2nd Lieutenant in Leipzig, Germany in the Signal Corps until 1946. He returned and completed his degree in Mechanical Engineering. Soon after that, he became an architect after spending time working for noted architect A. Hays Town, who he always considered his mentor. During this time, he had built a oneroom house off Government Street on a lot bought for 440. In his words, Shortly after it was built Parson Werlein called on me, and that man was not going to allow me not to come back to St. James Church. St. James Episcopal Church had been my mothers church and it became mine. In the years that followed, Bill worked on many projects for the church. He was known for his attention to detail, and it will surprise no one who worked with him that he told the contractor that he planned for Bishops Hall to last for 100 years, and theyd better understand why he was going to be tough on them. Bills great joy was in figuring out a solution to a problem. Among other challenges, he figured out how to crank up basketball goals out of sight in Bishops Hall, how to mix concrete so that it looked like stone, and how to use an old steam press from Goudchauxs to create panels for prefab houses. Probably his favorite invention was a spiral stairway without a center pole, modeled after the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe. He patented that design. In addition, he designed the renovations for the City Club, designed the Bank One Tower and the recently sold Coca Cola plant, and built the Methodist conference center on North Boulevard, as well as designing hundreds of other commercial ventures, along with many private homes. He turned dreams into reality. A bit of a risk taker, Bill delighted in aerobatics while flying the airplane he built with hardly enough room to carry along a suitcase, with skiing, with boating. Physical challenges were almost as much fun to him as mental challenges. His wife Barbara noted that he had two speeds, full speed or dead stop. She always said she ran to keep up with him, despite his being eleven years older. Friends were also very important to Bill and he shared many interests with them. These included long time Baton Rougeans with whom he grew up, Dekes and others from LSU, pilots, boaters, fishermen, and a number of his clients. Bill was predeceased by his parents, his sister, Jane Hughes Wishnack, by his oldest son, William J. Hughes, III and by Stacey B. Hughes, the wife of Jeff Hughes. Although he enjoyed many activities in his life, Bill most appreciated his time with his wife of nearly thirtythree years, Barbara Vastine Hughes. He was delighted to be able to pass on his enthusiasm for life to his daughter, Nancy Hughes Readinger of Houston, Texas and her children Alexa Alexander of Manchaca, Texas and Richard Andrew Readinger of Fort Worth, Texas and his son Jeffrey Hughes and his children Jessica Hughes and Campbell Hughes, all of Houston. In addition, he enjoyed his stepchildren, Richard Wood and his wife Rebecca Adcock Wood of Baton Rouge, and Cheryl Wood Jones, husband Rowley Jones and their children Shelby and Grayson Jones of Austin, Texas. Honorary pallbearers are his Friday lunch group: Bill Cochreham, Bill Hathorn, Bill Gallmann, Joe Kinnamore, and John D. Cantey. Visitation will be Tuesday, September 10, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at St. James Episcopal Church, with a service to follow at 11 a.m. and graveside services at Resthaven Gardens of Memory Cemetery. People wishing to make donations in his memory are requested to send to The Marbridge Foundation a facility for people with disabilities at Box 2250 in Manchaca, Texas, 78652, or to Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge at 550 Lobdell Avenue, Baton Rouge. Please visit www.resthavenbatonrouge.com to sign the online guestbook.

Visitation

St. James Episcopal Church
205 N. Fourth St.
Baton Rouge, LA  70801
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
9 am11 am

Service

Funeral Service

St. James Episcopal Church
205 N. Fourth St.
Baton Rouge, LA  70801
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
11 am

Cemetery

Resthaven Gardens of Memory
11817 Jefferson Highway
Baton Rouge, LA  70816