David Histed Hughes

1928 - 2024

David Histed Hughes

September 9, 1928 - February 28, 2024

Prairie Village, Kansas - David Histed Hughes, 95, passed away on Wednesday, February 28, 2024 with his family by his side. Born September 9, 1928 in Kansas City, Missouri to Hilliard and Mary Hughes, Dave spent his early childhood in Kansas City, attending Bryant Elementary School before his father's career with New York Life Insurance took the family to Omaha, NE, Pittsburgh, PA and Sioux City, IA over the course of his junior high and high school years. Dave returned to Kansas City his senior year and graduated from Pembroke Country Day in 1945. Dave entered Princeton University at the age of 16. There, he was a member of the Tower Club, a Coxswain on the crew team, and played intramural tennis, golf, and ice hockey. He graduated from Princeton in 1949 with a B.S. in Engineering.

Dave's first job was with Aetna Group Insurance. He was sent to Dallas for six months, where he met the love of his life, Dorothy "Dee" Halsey from South Orange, NJ, on a blind date. They married six months later and moved to Boston, where Dave attended Harvard Business School, graduating in 1952. Following graduation, Dave joined the Air Force, where he served as a Second Lieutenant at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City. There, he worked at the Maintenance and Overhaul Base, supervising civilians in the development of systems and procedures. His final role with the Air Force was as Chief of the Control Office, responsible for reviewing the flying condition of the B47, B52, B29, B50, and C97 aircraft and all jet engines.

Dave returned to Kansas City in 1953 to work in research operations at Midwest Research Institute as Assistant to President Charles Kimball. He later spent two years at H.V. Jones Real Estate Company before beginning a new career at Hallmark Cards, where he ultimately became the third company president and the first person from outside the Hall family to serve in that capacity. Joining Hallmark in 1958 as Assistant to the Executive President, he became Vice President - Product Management (1967), Senior Vice President and member of the Board of Directors (1971), Executive Vice President (1973) and Chief Operating Officer (1979). Dave became President in 1983 and continued his role as COO. In 1986, he became Vice Chairman and served as a member of the newly formed Office of the Chairman. Retiring in 1990, he was one of the architects of Hallmark's growth over three decades, representing Hallmark through executive leadership and active community service. Dave loved his career and the people at Hallmark. He took tremendous pride in his affiliation with the company.

Dave was extremely active in the Kansas City civic community. He served as a trustee of Children's Mercy Hospital, Linda Hall Library, and Science Pioneers. He was a director of the Boy's Club of Kansas City, Inroads, the Chamber of Commerce, and United Way. He served as president of the St. Luke's Hospital Foundation; Chairman of Sunset Hill School, Midwest Research Institute, and Junior Achievement of Middle America; and Vice Chairman of Children's Mercy Hospital. He served as a corporate director on the boards of Hallmark Cards, Yellow Freight, Western Resources, the Hall Family Foundation, and Johnson County National Bank. Dave was president of the Kansas City Country Club, the River Club, and the Princeton Club of Kansas City. Outside of Kansas City, Dave was a trustee of the Princeton Theological Seminary and a director of the Junior Achievement National Board. He was a member of the Mason's Island Yacht Club (Mystic, CT) and the Garden of the Gods Club (Colorado Springs, CO). Locally, he was a member of the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art's Business Council and Society of Fellows; the Man of the Month Honorary Fraternity, and Second Presbyterian Church, where he served as an Elder. Dave received the Merit Award from the Pembroke Country Day Alumni Association and was the 1988 Honoree of the Kansas City Tomorrow Celebration of Leadership.

After Dee passed away in 2007, Dave was lucky to find the second love of his life, Mignon Russell Johnston. They married in 2011 and chose to count their anniversaries in months rather than years. Dave could not have found a more fun and caring soulmate to brighten the past 15 years.

Dave was known and respected for his sharp mind and his gentle and incredibly generous soul. Forever the world's best sport, he humored Dee with her penchant for entertaining; Mignon for her penchant for dressing him in hilarious costumes as Charlie Chaplin, Dumbledore, Elvis Presley, and Captain Sully; and even his grandson Andrew to pose for his high school photography project featuring American Gothic, Van Gogh's Self Portrait with the Bandaged Ear, and da Vinci's Last Supper. His passions included golf (4 handicap), tennis, reading, gardening, slap-stick TV shows, and ice cream. He and Dee loved traveling the world, and he and Mignon loved dining out. He enjoyed bird-watching, growing bonsai and playing bridge. The boy from Kansas became a sailing enthusiast when he married Dee, and he spent nearly 70 years enjoying summers at their home on Mason's Island in Mystic, CT. More than anything, he loved just being together with his family.

Dave is survived by his wife, Mignon, his children David, Jr., Avery, Steve and his wife Kate, and Betsey; his adored grandchildren Halsey (Lily), Jenny (Cory), Andrew, Carrie, and Ellie; numerous nieces and nephews; and Mignon's loving family. He was predeceased by his first wife, Dee, and his brother, Hilliard W. Hughes, Jr. of Walpole, NH.

The family requests no flowers. Contributions may be made to Second Presbyterian Church (318 E. 55th Street, KCMO 64113), Pembroke Hill School (400 W. 51 Street, KCMO 64112), or Charlotte Street Foundation (3333 Wyoming, Box 10263, KCMO 64171).

A service will be held on Friday, March 8 at 3:00 pm at Second Presbyterian Church, 55th and Brookside Blvd. Burial will be private.