Lawrence John Hughes, known to me and many other loved ones as Papa, was a man who lived a very full and vibrant 86 years of life. I have decided to honor him by going through all our family photos and pulling from them the essence of who he was to his wife of 62 years, four children, five grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and countless other family members and friends. Please join me in remembering the legacy of my Papa through this group of photographs spanning almost 70 years of an amazing life. (Please excuse the lack of scanned photos in some instances. Due to the fragile nature of the photographs, it was not a viable option.)
He joined the army at 17, in 1949, and was active military police stationed in Europe during the Korean War. He was proud of his country and his service until the day he died. His family gathered around him every Memorial Day, especially when he was Grand Marshall of the Milford Memorial Day Parade in 2014.
Grand Marshal of 2014 Milford Memorial Day Parade.
My grandmother and he married in 1954 and moved to Hopedale, Massachusetts. They still reside in Hopedale and celebrated 62 years of marriage before his passing.
Lovebirds at the beach.
Making all the girls swoon in his leather jacket coming back from the store.
On his honeymoon in New York City, clearly freezing his butt off, but being the tough guy we saw above.
At their 50th wedding anniversary.
At my grandma's 80th birthday party.
Soon enough, they went from young bride and groom to being parents to four children.
Getting into the Christmas spirit.
Sunday best.
Papa with children Kathy, John and Patty.
Papa and my mother, his daughter Karen, on her wedding day.
And even quicker than that, Papa took on his name as patriarch of his family, which continues on strong with many successful, and in other cases, adorable grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Papa was always very active in his grandchildren's lives. He would always take us outside or have a little game to play while waiting for supper.
Papa and I after a day at Wells Beach, Maine. He gave me a rock with the date and location marked that still sits on my dresser to this day.
Proud Papa and grandma with Jason Seaver at his confirmation.
Playing cards with us, like most nights.
Papa, grandma, and all their great-grandchildren (Jack and Emmett held by their grandparents, my Uncle Robert and Aunt Kathy).
Not only was he very involved in our childhoods, Papa and grandma gave my sister and I somewhat of a temporary home while our parents worked. We spent many days at the little white table below. You can also see that Papa exposed us to all his favorite pastimes, some of which have been passed to the next generation. His love of dogs.
Hunting.
Fishing.
Breeding chickens.
He started me with animals very young, which obviously rubbed off on me pretty quickly.
And my sister, Grace.
The ever-moving white table at which Grace and I ate many meals:
Papa was a very handy man, constantly building. He had built me my dollhouse (pictured below), which my grandmother filled with furniture for a childhood full of imagination.
Despite his family knowing him to be cracking jokes and smiling, Papa had the "gruff tough guy" look down pat, no matter what the occasion.
Happiest day of his life:
Holding his first newborn grandchild, another exciting moment.
At the happiest place on Earth.
Anyone who has entered the Hughes Household in the last 50 years knew a likely spot to find Papa: "The Chair."
Although, the color and style of The Chair changed over the years.
Everyone knew who's seat it was, no matter where Papa was when you spotted the empty chair (don't even question it, those feet are Papa's).
Us kids knew the floor pretty well, but it never really bothered us.
Even if not in the living room, Papa and his chair — in some sense — could be found outside.
Or at the dinner table, at the head, as always.
But beyond his quirks, Papa was an extremely loving and generous man, who knew how to make anyone smile and was truly the foundation of our family. You are greatly missed.
Glory days with the boys.
Traveling the world with his wife while making lifetime pen pals and friends.
Post Commander of VFW Post 1544, with his ever-supportive fellow veterans.
And last but certainly not least, Papa and Tom Tattersall: best friends for over 60 years.
