September 15, 1921 – October 10, 2019
Vincent Bell Hughes, Jr., our beloved “family treasure,” passed away peacefully at his home in College Station, Texas, on October 10, 2019, surrounded by his family. He was 98.
It was impossible not to love Vincent Hughes. He was a kind, fiercely intelligent and unfailingly polite and thoughtful man, even in his last days, when he never missed an opportunity to thank his caregivers and medical personnel if they helped him in even the smallest ways. He never talked about himself but always found time to ask others about their lives or well-being. Vincent loved nothing more than to be with Dorothy, his wife of nearly 75 years, and his extended family, sitting around the dining table listening to stories and occasionally bringing himself and everyone else present to tears with a silly (but never off-color) quip or pun. He shared with his family a passion for everything Texas A&M, attending football, softball and women’s basketball games with his wife until age 90.
Vincent was born on September 15, 1921, in Tyler, Texas, and moved to Houston as a young boy, where he graduated from Lamar High School. In Houston, he met his future bride, Dorothy, with whom he shared a love of dancing to Big Band music. He entered Texas A&M as a member of the Class of ’43, but his collegiate life was interrupted by World War II, during which he served in the Army Air Corps on Ascension Island in the South Atlantic. Vincent and Dorothy were married on January 29, 1945, in Columbia, South Carolina, and had three children, Karen, Lisa and Vincent III (or “Budgie”).
Vincent’s professional life as an architect began in Little Rock, Arkansas, working for 17 years for Bruce Anderson Architects. He moved the family to Houston in 1963, where he finished his career as a partner at MacKie and Kamrath Architects. Throughout the years, Vincent designed many beautiful commercial and residential structures; however, he was most proud of the creative renovations and additions he made to his beloved retirement home in College Station, where he lovingly worked alongside his wife, son and other family members to create a wonderful living and entertainment space for the entire family and their friends to enjoy.
Vincent is survived by his wife, Dorothy Geyer Hughes, his daughter Karen Hughes and her partner Lynne Werner; daughter Lisa Hughes and her significant other Patrick Haggerty; son Vincent B. Hughes III and his wife Sally; grandson Benjamin and his wife Emily Joiner Hughes; and grandson William Hughes. Despite being an “old-ish” grandfather, Vincent took great delight and pride in being Ben and Will’s Papa. He is preceded in death by his parents, Vincent Bell and Catherine Rall Hughes and his sister, Joyce Hughes Faulkner.
The family would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to our wonderful caregivers from Comfort Keepers and Encompass Health who consistently went the extra mile to provide our father the loving, thoughtful care he deserved.
The family will receive visitors from 3:00-3:30 pm on Sunday, October 20, at Callaway-Jones Funeral Center, 3001 S. College Avenue in Bryan, Texas. Celebration of Vincent’s Life will be officiated by Certified Celebrant Dawn Lee Wakefield, Sunday, October 20, beginning at 3:30 p.m., in the Bluebonnet Room at Callaway-Jones.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials in Vincent’s honor to support the Squadron 5 Corps of Cadets Scholarship Fund be sent to Texas A&M Foundation, 401 George Bush Drive, College Station, Texas 77840.
Express condolences at CallawayJones.com
Hughes family,
I am so sorry for your loss. It was a pleasure having the opportunity to take care of Mr. Hughes. He always put a smile on my face even when he wasn’t feeling well. I loved hearing him talk about Big Band music, the days when he danced with Mrs. Hughes, and his passion for Texas A&M. Mr. Hughes will always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you for being so welcoming to me when I worked for your family.
Love,
Marcy Schengber