Thomas Hughes

MAINE - Thomas L. Hughes, Sr. of Gorham, Maine passed away peacefully on October 3, 2025.

Tom will be remembered for so many things, but first and foremost is the importance he put on family. Tom and his wife Dottie raised 4 children – Kathy (Patrick Hughes), Karen (Jim Jabar), Tommy, Jr. (Linda), and Krissy (Scott Lock). His family includes 13 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. Tom is survived by his wife, children, sister Barbie (Norb Voisard), and several cousins, aunts and uncles.

Tom was born August 3, 1938, in Sidney, Ohio and raised by parents Ruth and Kirk Hughes. Tom would tell you he had the best life growing up in Sidney. That it was just like Happy Days, and Christmas Story was the mirror of his childhood. Tom was lucky to live in the same town with his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and umpteen cousins. He went to Miami University (Ohio) for music but changed to business after his sophomore year. He was a member of the Alpha Chapter of Sigma Chi, something he cherished until his passing. It was at Miami that he met his wife, Dottie. As the story goes, it was at sports banquet where she was a server. A tray of dishes was dropped and Dad looked to see who did it and saw Dottie. He told his friends at the table that he would get a "coke date" with her. He did, and well, the rest is history. They were married for 66 years. He spent his college summers in Harrison, Maine as a tennis coach a Camp Zakelo on Long Lake.

Tom was one of the first computer salesmen for NCR (home office in Dayton) in 1961. Computer mainframes at that time were the size of a room. He was passionate about the product and progressed from salesman to district manager, to regional manager, and ultimately having his own business. The promotions also meant the family moved a lot – Atlanta (twice), Charlotte, Miami, Easton (PA), and ultimately Gorham, Maine. In Gorham, he was an active member of the community. He was on the Planning Board for several years and on the HOA board for Park South.

Tom was an athlete from the age he could walk. Baseball, tennis, and golf were his favorites. One of his last accomplishments on the court was winning a Senior's tournament in Palo Alto, CA less than a year after he had both knees replaced. His picture hangs on the wall at Maine Medical Center as an example of how determination and hard work pays off. Some of his proudest moments on the links was playing golf with Magic Johnson, Joe DiMaggio and winning a club tournament with his son. He was a devout Yankees fan while Dottie leaned toward the Red Sox-- each lovingly supporting each other in their team's losses. Tom was also at the game in Atlanta when Hank Aaron hit home run #715, and by chance sat next to Hank Aaron on a flight from Atlanta to LA.

Tom's other passion was fishing. He bought a Boston Whaler after moving to Miami and was able to share that passion with his kids and has been passed down to grand and great- grandchildren. While in Miami, most weekends found the family of 6 out on the boat in Key Biscayne with 6 lines in the water. Dottie hated the water! Tom developed a passion for fly fishing and took classes to learn how to tie his own flies. His favorite spot was Higgins Beach and fishing for stripers in the Spurwink. In addition to his sports and fishing, Tom was an accomplished musician, playing trumpet and other horns in the Portland jazz scene with his dear friend Don Doane.

But above all and accomplishments aside, Tom's greatest love was his family. There is nothing he loved more than being with or talking about his family. Just as he said he had the perfect childhood, he said he had the best family ever. His love for Dottie had no limits. And as a father you could not find anyone that thought more highly or was prouder of their kids, grandkids and great grandkids than Tom. You could see the love and pride on Tom's face whenever he was with family or spoke of them.

A celebration of Tom's life will be Monday, November 10th at Nonesuch River Brewing (a favorite place of Tom's!) 2-4 PM. The service portion of the celebration will be at 2:30. The family will be forever grateful for the kindness and care given to Tom by everyone at Gosnell Memorial Hospital House. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Gosnell Memorial Hospital House in Scarborough, Maine.