Patrick James Hughes

On October 17, 1950, the first-born son of Major Lawrence Francis Hughes and Helen Aileen (James) Hughes entered the world. Almost 76 years later on September 5, 2026, Patrick James Hughes breathed his last breath while holding the hand of the love of his life, Mary. Their marriage of 53 years was a true example of a marriage becoming one flesh.

A man of faith to his core, Pat devoted his life to following the Lord Jesus Christ, loving his Heavenly Father, and walking by the holy spirit. He was well known for his faithful service, undying optimism, and humble leadership. He lived out his faith with a gentle spirit and genuine love for others.

Able to make anyone feel seen, safe and loved, Pat brought the saying to life, “no one has ever been loved too much.” Pat preached to anyone who would listen- from family and friends to colleagues and strangers. He touched countless lives through his unwavering love, warmth, compassion, humor, and wisdom.

Spending the first 20 years of his career in full-time ministry, he dedicated himself to serving others and sharing the Gospel. He later brought that same heart for people, along with his natural charisma and many talents, into the business world, where he built and led a national sales force. There, he taught and modeled servant leadership, investing in the people he led and demonstrating that ministry was never simply a profession for Pat, it was the way he lived his life. Always remembering “people are to be loved, things are to be used.”

Pat’s legacy not only includes the innumerable souls he encouraged through his many years of service in the ministry and business, but most importantly the family that he built on a firm foundation of faith, love and grace. The family watched in awe as he lived life to the fullest.

As an army brat, he had moved and moved…a lot. Salt Lake City to Nagasaki, Japan, then to California, to Alaska and then West Germany. After that posting, his family was stationed in New Jersey and finally back to northern California. He eventually met Mary, at 17 years old, took her on a date to her senior ball and suddenly it was the ’60s.

After years of searching for truth and meaning, a wonderful young man told Pat there was a loving God who gave His son for him to be saved. Pat listened. He heard the calling and said “send me.”

In addition to the work he would do as a pastor, he developed a curiosity about the world around him and an adventurous spirit that stayed with him throughout his life.

Although Pat loved to see the world, the best part of any adventure was the people he shared it with or met along the way. Once he loaded Mary, the kids and the Labrador Retriever, Joe Montana (“Bye-bye- in the car, Joey!”), into an RV and set off on what the family affectionately called the “Love Tour.” Pat even had business cards stamped with “Love Tour” and each family members’ name (including Joe Montana), a fitting title for a trip spent exploring National Parks, visiting Bible camps and crisscrossing the country to spend time with family and friends. Pat drove with constant vigilance.

His generosity brought others on these adventures with his family, inviting extended family in a limo to a Broadway show, bringing friends to New York City for Thanksgiving and a Christmas show at the Radio City Music Hall, or taking his mother-in-law traipsing across Europe, swimming with dolphins in the Florida Keys, or anywhere her sweet Dutch heart wanted to go.

His travels eventually took him throughout Europe, the Bible Lands, the Caribbean, Alaska, Hawaii, and areas throughout Canada and Mexico. In the 1970s, that sense of adventure took him on countless hitchhiking trips across America. He and Mary once even managed to hitch a ride on a prop plane in west Texas! Whether traveling by thumb, prop plane, RV, or something a little more conventional, he always surrounded himself with his loved ones.

Even at home, Pat’s focus was on time with his family. Sundays often meant gathering to watch the final holes of a great golf tournament or settling in for an afternoon of football. Though football loyalties were decidedly divided. You always knew that when the Seahawks played the Niners, nobody talked.

Being around Pat meant that you would be impacted by his contagious enthusiasm. At some point in his company, you would be offered “THE best [insert ANY food or drink item here] you’ve ever tasted.” He was a connoisseur of the finer things in life, enjoying fine dining and wine(or woo woo!). He especially enjoyed finding the best happy hours or bringing home the greatest brioche hamburger bun from Aldi’s or the freshest pitas flown in from Chicago. That love for great food was transformed into culinary delights by his wife and daughters.

Stop by on a random weeknight and you’d encounter an impromptu wine tasting between two different bottles of wine he found at Trader Joe’s that afternoon. He was the sandwich-master, cheese gooey king, and if it wasn’t hot enough, he’d offer to put it in the microwave to “take it up to the next level!”

But don’t ask him to put the order in at the drive-thru window. In fact, that and propping up a Christmas tree remain the only two examples his family can recall that invariably led to frustration.

He loved to entertain and one of his inimitable ways to do so was to play games: any game, anywhere, with any materials at hand. This notoriously included playing poker, craps or blackjack with one or more of his children -while getting free drinks- in Ireland, Italy, Lake Tahoe, Reno, or Vegas...

Known for “having magic” by his grandchildren, he could play a mean game of “which hand is the gummy bear in,” only to finally find the gummy bear hiding behind their ear. He was born to be a grandpa, relishing in the small moments like picking up his granddaughters from school every day or flying across the country just to sing his signature grandpa song face to face with each individual grandchild. “Talking about… who I love with all my heart.”

His love for his children was especially remarkable, having lost his own dad at a young age. It was noted of him that he would rather spend his evenings and weekends with his children and wife, or with his church family, rather than golfing or engaging in other hobbies that would interfere with quality time with them. His life and his great love was his family. His home was a place of refuge and his children remember him for his tender heart and gentle demeanor.

This love wasn’t just for his family - no matter who you were, when you were with him, you felt like you were the most important person in the world. In his own quiet way, he changed the world by shining as a light and loving with the love that God shed abroad in his heart.

He was peaceful in his final days, comforted with the knowledge of a loving God Who has promised eternal life for those who believe concerning Christ Jesus. His soul rests in hope with his parents, Lawrence and Helen Hughes, and siblings Michele and Michael. The family whom he loved so dearly are mourning his passing: his wife, Mary Jean (Smith); his children, Molly and her husband Ryan, Patrick and his wife Cherise, and Caitlin Rose and her husband BJ; and Pat’s beloved grandchildren Rose Caroline, Ireland James, Fiona Geraldine, Annie Genevieve, Bonnie Aileen, Golden Summer, Seamus Patrick and Patrick James.

A celebration of life will be held at his dear friend's vineyard in the Wichita area on the morning of November 8th. Your presence and prayers mean the world to the family.

The family requests that you send any photos or stories that you would like to share to PatrickJHughesPhotos@gmail.com

“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” Rom 12:10 [ESV]

“And a man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.”

Isaiah 32:2 [KJV]