John Hughes

1949 - 2023

It is with heavy hearts that we begin the process of saying our final farewells to the incredible John W. Hughes who passed away just a week ago.

John Hughes was born in Brown Township here in Washington County in 1949 where he remained, and served the community for all of his life. He graduated from West Washington High School in 1967, and went on to study mortuary science in Indianapolis. John would partner with Dwayne Taylor to establish the Hughes-Taylor Funeral Home in the mid-1970s. John continued in this field until 1994 when he studied to become an LPN at the Ivy Tech School of Nursing at Bloomington which afforded him the skills to work in home health care until his retirement.

He was a dedicated member of the Campbellsburg Christian Church for 35 years where he and his family began attending in 1961. He served as a Deacon, Sunday School Superintendent, Church Clerk, and Song Leader. He would end up returning to and spending the rest of his life with the Mt. Carmel Christian Church where he served as Deacon and Song Leader.

John Hughes is survived by his lovely family including his wife Rhonda, as well as several children, and grandchildren who will continue to love and cherish his memory.
Growing up around Campbellsburg, John spent a lot of his time with his grandparents where he listened to their stories about their family, the county, and its history. This left John with an immense love for history that stuck with him throughout his entire life. In 1966, at the age of 17, John joined the Washington County Historical Society and would become one of the longest standing members in the society’s history. He gave a great deal of his time here, serving on the Board of Directors in many roles including that of the Treasurer. He also devoted his time and energy by transcribing the county’s census records into books, completing cemetery books on Brown and Jefferson Townships, helping to teach and guide employees with his endless knowledge, and much much more. In 2016, he went on to compile a lot of his knowledge on Washington County into a book titled, Reflections: A Bicentennial History of Washington County which has gone on to be a staple resource for those researching their family histories at the Stevens Museum.

John quickly became a long-lasting beacon of light and knowledge here at the WCHS and the John Hay Center. He will be missed, but his dedicated work and contributions here will be evident for decades to come.

Thank you John, for all your hard work and all you have done for us here at The Washington County Historical Society.