AUSTINTOWN - Retired Niles Fire Department Capt. John H. Hughes, 69, of Raccoon Road, formerly of Morse Ave., Niles, passed away Dec. 6, 2012, in the emergency room of St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown with family at his side.
John was born Oct. 19, 1943, in Warren, the son of Chester B. and Dorothy N. McFadden Hughes.
A 1961 graduate of Niles McKinley High School, he was a U.S. Navy veteran of the Vietnam War, serving as a petty officer 3rd class aboard the USS Eversole DD789.
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John began on the Niles Fire Department in 1968, progressed through the ranks and was a fire service educator for many years. He was also certified state fire inspector and was trained by BP Oil Co. at the Fire Protection Academy, University of Nevada, for petro-chemical fire extinguishment and containment.
Capt. Hughes was the Command Post organizer with his Emergency Disaster Services certification during the Niles Tornado of 1985.
A Cub Scout leader and an adviser for the Niles Little Red Dragons, John was also known for his artistic mural work, the holiday painting of the fire stations and the design for the logo of the Niles Fire Department.
He was a member of the William McKinley American Legion Post 106.
An avid gardener, he enjoyed boating, fishing and chess, and was an ardent supporter of the University of Notre Dame Football Team.
John is survived by his wife, the former Christine Lynn Dye, whom he married Jan. 3, 1983; his children, John H. (Diane) Hughes II of Niles, Tara L. (Tom) Owens of Huntersville, N.C., Susan E. Brown of Gastonia, N.C., Shawn J. (Angela) Hughes and Nicole C. Hughes, all of Niles; a brother, Chester; and 11 grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Luke's Episcopal Church with the Rev. Donald Hall officiating. Friends may call from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Robert P. McDermott Memorial Home and one half hour prior to the service Monday at the church. John will be honored at 9:15 a.m. Monday at the church by the Trumbull County American Legion Honor Guard for his service to our country.
Burial will be in Niles City Cemetery.
(special notice)