John K. Hughes

John Hughes had a deep love and abiding loyalty to his family and his friends, finding joy in their joy and offering heartfelt consolation in their sorrows. John was the friend and family member one could count on to be on hand and present, bearing authentic witness and unwavering support in challenging times, as well as elevating both celebrations of special occasions and every-day life with his generous spirit, discerning taste, and wry sense of humor.

"John deeply loved his family and was a loyal friend," said his sister Claire Hughes. "Like his father before him, John was a 'man for others' in the true sense and he'll be missed greatly, along that twinkle in his eye when he laughed."

John Kerley Hughes died peacefully on February 26, 2026, in Rochester, Michigan.

John was born in Detroit on January 10, 1965, to Thomas J. Hughes and Phyllis (McGrath) Hughes, the third of their nine children. John attended Our Lady Queen of Martyrs and Holy Name School in Birmingham until the start of 7th grade when he enrolled in the Academy at University of Detroit Jesuit High School, following in the footsteps of his maternal grandfather, his father and his older brother James at "the High," where he excelled academically while at the same time building a circle of life-long friends from the old neighborhood and the entire metro area.

"John often expressed his blessings and gratitude for all the friends in his life," said Tom Devine, a friend since childhood at Holy Name and then U-D. "He was always ready to regale you with great stories of his cherished memories of those friends and family."

His keen ability to remember details about those he loved made him a consummate gift-giver, often surprising people with a gift or token of friendship apropos to a conversation last week or 10 years earlier. And John could be counted on for gifting a fondue pot as a wedding gift to family and friends.

As dearly as he loved his large and extended family and friends, John's greatest joy was the twin sons, Dylan and Tom, whom he shared with his former wife, Kathy Wentrack. In his late 20s John reconnected with Kathy and moved to New York City to be with her. They had been friends during their high school years. They were wed in November 2000 and resided in Manhattan where the twins were born and raised. They enjoyed many visits with their sons to the Bronx Zoo, Central Park, and walking along the Hudson River. Dylan recalls his father always making friends with people wherever they went. John moved back to Michigan in 2018 and enjoyed frequent visits and meals with son Dylan while Dylan was enrolled at the University of Michigan. John was particularly fond of Zingerman's coleslaw and the falafel at Jerusalem Garden, requesting a to-go order when he heard someone was traveling to visit him from Ann Arbor. He was proud of his sons and their academic achievements but more so of the fine young men they have become.

Even before he became a parent, John had a reputation in the family of "being more like Dad than Dad," particularly in areas of safety and security. His sister Catie remembered the time when she was in college and John was dropping her and her friend Meghan off to catch a bus to Daytona for spring break. When a seedy-looking vehicle with a cardboard sign on the bus with the scrawled message "Datona or bust" [sic] pulled up, loaded with boisterous passengers and a driver and assistant of dubious character, John took Catie aside and said, "You know, you do not have to get on that bus."

Early on, John had a flair for style and a taste for the finer things in life. While his peers might be flipping burgers for a summer job, John sought opportunities at more upscale businesses where he acquired a certain savoir-faire and taste for good food, fine wine, and meaningful conversation.

His good looks and flair for fashion were well known as well. His youngest sibling, Tom Hughes, recalled "John had some great clothes that I'd borrow – and he didn't like it when he caught me in them!" Tom also recalled seeing a poster of John at the beach in his teenage years on spring break. "John told me that the clothing brand OP had discovered him on the beach and asked him to model a swimsuit. The poster was convincing proof!"

All agree John had a great sense of style, "But he also loved a bargain," Claire recalled. He was entrepreneurial in financing his Grateful Dead travels, and his discerning palate led him to stock up at Trader Joe's – taking advantage of the sales. Discerning, indeed. His brother Tom added, "He would go all over NYC to different places to get the right items from the right places, like milk for the twins from Stew Leonard's in Westchester, bagels from this place, meat from another, and pierogies from another."

John had a strong work ethic, starting, as most of the Hughes siblings did, as a caddie at Birmingham Country Club and then shortly after high school working in restaurant management, including Midtown Café in Birmingham and Double Eagle near Orchard Lake. When he moved to New York, John worked in media production, customer service, and retail.

John was preceded in death by his father, Thomas J. Hughes and infant sisters Catherine Anne and Mary Brigid. He is survived by his loving family, including: his sons, Tom and Dylan, his former wife, Kathy Wentrack, his mother Phyllis Hughes, and his siblings, Jim (Nancy), Claire (Kevin Devine), Anne (Tom Hassett), Margaret (Andrew McCulloch), Elizabeth (Marshall Robbins), Catie (Bill Kasinak), Jane (Justin LaBond), and Tom (Dea), 20 nieces and nephews, a great-nephew and great-niece, his uncle, Thomas McGrath, and cousins in the Dowd, McGrath, and Richards families and their spouses and children, plus many lifelong friends, including Lou Longo, Tom Devine, and Ned Devine, and many more whom he cherished.

Visitation for John will be Thursday, March 12 from 5-8 p.m. at Lynch & Sons Funeral Home at 1368 N Crooks Road in Clawson. A funeral mass will be celebrated by Msgr. Zenz on Friday, March 13 at 10 a.m. at Holy Name Church, 630 Harmon Street in Birmingham.

Donations may be made in John's memory to University of Detroit Jesuit High School, Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders, or Feed My Starving Children.

To close, as John always did whether on the phone, in a letter, or when taking leave, "Peace. Love you." And he meant it. Recall John fondly when you see a ripple on still water.