Lewis Blake Hughes

Mr. Lewis Blake Hughes, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, passed away on February 1, 2026, following a stroke.

Blake was a lifelong North Carolina resident who truly never met a stranger. If you stood still long enough, he would start a conversation, and if you did not laugh within the first few minutes, he would simply try harder. He had an infectious sense of humor, a sharp wit, and a gift for turning ordinary moments into stories people retold for years.

He was the best outdoorsman anyone could have met. At 68, Blake still chose the crossbow, and anything involving the outdoors was his domain. To many, he was the man, the myth, the legend, equal parts skill, grit, and story. He had a deep love for nature and was a skilled taxidermist who took great pride in his craft.

Blake was also a skilled fisherman and could skin a fish better than anyone, and he would be sure to let you know it. He was an avid cook who believed in using what the land provided. Anything he harvested, he cleaned himself and ate. You never quite knew what was going to be in the pot, but you always knew it would come with a story and a good laugh.

He kept a garden every year, and anything he put in the soil seemed to grow at its very best. He had a true gift for working the land and was a great gardener, patient, attentive, and proud of what he grew.

He was known just as much for his workmanship as he was for his storytelling, his pranks, and his ability to make a room lighter the moment he walked into it. Laughter followed Blake everywhere, in restaurants, auto shops, parking lots, and living rooms. Many people did not realize how much they needed a laugh until Blake gave it to them.

Blake retired from Goodyear, where he was just as well known as he was everywhere else he went. To his family, it often felt like he was a local celebrity. No matter where they were, someone knew him. He had a way of making work fun for everyone around him, or at the very least, making sure he was having fun while you figured out what prank he had just pulled. Wigs, booby traps, practical jokes, and perfectly timed mischief were all fair game, and Blake took great pride in keeping the workplace light, loud, and laughing.

He was the type of man who kept Remember When by Alan Jackson as his ringtone. He refused to change it until he could listen without crying. It was his and his wife's song, and it moved him deeply. Blake was a man unafraid to feel, tender enough to cry over a song, steady enough to take life humanely with a crossbow, and strong enough to carry both compassion and grit with quiet dignity.

His children were in every one of his conversations, and he could not have been prouder of them. Blake was married for 45 years and never missed a back scratch, even in the end. Above all, he was a devoted father and family man. He believed deeply in his children and never missed a chance to tell them they could do anything. He was a protector, a cheerleader, and a constant source of humor and encouragement.

Blake will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by his wife, Darlene Blackmon Hughes; his children, Katie Hughes and Dana Hughes; and his siblings, Ronald Hughes, Connie Sumerel, Norma "Poke" Holland, Ray Hughes, Vernona "Fidge" Aslim, and Brian "Grunts" Hughes, along with countless friends who were drawn to him by his humor and heart.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Palestine Presbyterian Church, 8081 Ramsey Street, Linden, North Carolina 28356.