Vaughn Eugene Huckfeldt

Vaughn Eugene Huckfeldt, Ph.D., 1940-2025
Before he went on to earn his doctorate and travel the world, Dr. Vaughn Huckfeldt was born on February 24, 1940, as the only child of Delmer and Elsie Huckfeldt of the small town of Shelton, Nebraska. Growing up, young Vaughn helped his father with his work the combine circuit during harvest. Delmer died, and after Elsie remarried, he was raised by his stepfather Rodney Webber.
Vaughn always envisioned broader horizons. He served in the Air Force, working in their division with satellites. He went to the University of Colorado in Boulder, where he earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics. There he met his first wife, Kathleen Matheson, whom he married in 1964.
Kathy and Vaughn had two children together, Ruti Singerman (nee Christine, born 1970) and Vaughn Junior (born 1974). They moved to Michigan for Vaughn's graduate program at Case Western Reserve University, from which he earned a Ph.D. in Operations Research. He used that expertise in his work for Alcoa Aluminum in Kentucky and Montana. Vaughn and Kathy moved back to Boulder when he was hired by the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems. He went into business for himself, starting the National Policy Analysis Center.
Vaughn and Kathy's marriage ended in 1977, and he remarried Dolores "Dee" Drew, becoming the stepfather to her three children, Deanna, Jim, and Billy. He taught as a professor for a variety of universities and worked as a counselor, providing care for people with autism.
After Vaughn and Dee divorced, he moved to Armenia in 1994. There, he met and married Nvart Sargsyan, with whom he had a son, Joseph, in 1996. Together they organized a choir tour of the United States, titled "The Little Singers of Armenia." Vaughn was ordained as a minister of the Baptist church, and the couple moved to western Colorado.
After the dissolution of his marriage with Nvart, he traveled to Latvia on a mission to provide resources to children living in poverty. There he met Saudra, whom he married. The couple worked together on efforts to end human trafficking, a cause that Vaughn would focus on for the rest of his life. Vaughn had six children with Saudra: twins Calliope (nee Mariam) and Mary, born in 2008; Kathryn (nee Moriah, born 2011), Michael (nee Matthew, born 2012), Rose (nee Meira, born 2015), and Bubba (nee Melchizedek, born 2017). The children were adopted by Quinton and Janice Weber.
Vaughn loved the outdoors and seeing the world. His children fondly remember going on hiking and camping trips, including a mission to summit as many of Colorado's "fourteeners" as possible. He loved running, and continued to go on daily five-mile runs until the end of his life. He never saw a challenge that he was not eager to attempt, and he would never quit once he set his mind to a goal.
Vaughn died at his home in Benson, Arizona on March 24, 2025. He is survived by his children, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. He will be remembered for his lack of fear and his indomitable spirit.
A memorial service will be streamed via Facebook live at https://www.facebook.com/share/168kDDruot/ at 11 a.m. Benson, Arizona time (GMT -7) on Thursday, April 3, 2025.
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