In Honor Of Papa: A Man Of Great Impact | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Relationships

In Honor Of Papa: A Man Of Great Impact

Rest in peace, Lawrence John "Papa" Hughes: March 26, 1930 - June 3, 2016.

14
In Honor Of Papa: A Man Of Great Impact
Julia Turgeon

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.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

15 Times Michael Scott's Life Was Worse Than Your Life

Because have you ever had to endure grilling your foot on a George Foreman?

420
Michael Scott
NBC

Most of the time, the world's (self-proclaimed) greatest boss is just that, the greatest. I mean, come on, he's Michael Freakin' Scott after all! But every once in a while, his life hits a bit of a speed bump. (or he actually hits Meredith...) So if you personally are struggling through a hard time, you know what they say: misery loves company! Here are 15 times Michael Scott's life was worse than your life:

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

15362
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

3144
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments