George S. Hughes Sr.

George S. Hughes NORFOLK - George Samuel Hughes Sr., loving husband, father, grandfather and brother, passed away Feb. 5, 2009, of heart failure in the Hampton Veterans Administration Hospital, Hampton. Born in Norfolk, Aug. 19, 1925, to Frank and Eunice Hughes, he grew up in Norfolk. He was a veteran of World War II and served in the Army Air Force in the Pacific Theater. He flew 23 missions and earned the Air Medal with four Oak clusters. He was an outstanding football scholar/athlete. Among his greatest accomplishments were with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. Dan Rooney Sr., a founder of the NFL, described George as "one of my finest linemen ever." George was named to the All-Time Steelers Team and several Pro-Bowl teams. He earned many awards and honors including: All American lineman at The College of William and Mary (William & Mary); he was elected to the Sports Halls of Fame for William & Mary, Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. He received many other honors including: Chesapeake Athletic Club Man of the Year and Tom Fergusson Memorial Award for Sportsman of the Year. He was the coach for the Norfolk Neptunes of the Continental Football League and Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League. His teams won championships in both leagues. He served in many public and civic capacities including the NFL Alumni Association, councilman for the city of Norfolk, Norfolk School Board, Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, Ocean View Masonic Lodge (Scottish Rite 33rd Degree), Khedive Temple, VFW Post 3160, Lions Club of Ocean View, Ocean View Social and Democratic Club, American and Virginia Hardware Associations, and he ran a successful hardware business in Ocean View for many years. He was also known as the "Ocean View Oak." He was a member of Miles Memorial United Methodist Church in Norfolk. He earned a bachelor's and master's degree in education from William & Mary. At William & Mary, he was admitted to Omicron Delta Kappa, the national honorary leadership fraternity for academic, athletic and excellence in leadership. He is survived by is wife of 60 years, Kate; his children, Dr. George S. Hughes Jr., M.D., FACP, Kathy Gillette and Susan Anderson; and his grandchildren, Stephanie, Neil and Cynthia Hughes, Kristen and Melissa Moreno and Claire and Katie Anderson. George will be remembered not only for his athletic prowess, his sense of civic duty and patriotism, his sense of good humor, but for his generosity to friends and colleagues. The family will receive friends in the Hollomon-Brown Funeral Home, Tidewater Chapel, today from 7 to 9 p.m. Services with Masonic rites will be conducted by the Rev. Kathleen M.R. Monge in the funeral home Monday at 10 a.m. with burial in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Norfolk. A reception will be held after the burial at the VFW in Ocean View. Condolences may be offered to the family at www.hollomon-brown.com.