William Hughes

HUGHES, William R.

William Rodney Hughes, Ph.D., passed away the morning of 31 Aug 2023 in his own bed surrounded by family and supported by hospice. He is survived by his wife Betty Hughes nee Keller, daughter Jan(Jim)Murphy, son Jeff(Julia)Hughes, grandchildren Kyle(Renee)Murphy, Katherine Murphy, Samantha Hughes, Jackson Bush, Bennett Hughes, Natalie Hughes, and great grandchildren Cassandra Murphy, Lenora Searfoss, Joanna Searfoss, and Arthur Murphy. William was born in the "home place", a farm on the Ohio River, up the bank from the Kanauga Railroad Station near Gallipolis. His father was James Ansel Hughes and his mother was Eleanor Mae Hughes nee Davison. The other children in his family were James Arthur Hughes(deceased), Gene Alfred Hughes(deceased), and a half-brother, Edward Ansel Hughes(deceased). William was the oldest boy. William's work ethic was forged early. He started milking cows by hand every morning and evening when he was eight years old. During high school, William began to date Betty Keller. That relationship continued on to marriage. William died one week short of their 66th wedding anniversary. William enlisted in the Army in 1955. Recognizing his intellect, the Army trained him in advanced electronics and deployed him to Korea where he served as a radar technician in the Inchon area. William did well in school his entire life, receiving several academic honors and awards. He continued his education and eventually received a Doctorate in Education from The Ohio State University majoring in science and mathematics. William was a high school teacher, principal, and superintendent in Ohio public schools retiring with 30 years of service. He was then granted a position as Professor of Education for Ashland University. He was active in campus affairs, speaking nationally at multiple conferences, and published 19 journal articles. He received several teaching awards while at Ashland University. William retired from Ashland University in 2001. William and Betty moved to Beavercreek, Ohio where he volunteered locally for non-profits and his church. A memorial visitation for William will be held Thursday, September 14, 2023 from 12:00PM to 1:00PM at David's Community Mausoleum 4600 Mad River Road Dayton, Ohio 45429; with memorial service at 1:00PM. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.tobias-fh.com for the Hughes family. Betty requests that in lieu of flowers please consider donating to The William & Betty Hughes Endowed Scholarship Fund, Ashland University(419.289.5620/au-advancement@ashland.edu).