Mr. Austin L Hughes

COLUMBIA - Austin L. Hughes, 66, of Columbia, died unexpectedly on Saturday evening, October 31, 2015. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. Friday, November 6, 2015, at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Final Commendation and Farewell Prayers will be held in St. Peter’s Catholic Cemetery. The Rosary will be recited at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, November 5, 2015, at Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel, with visitation to follow until 8:00 p.m. Austin was a Carolina Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of South Carolina. He had an undergraduate degree in Philosophy from Georgetown University (1969), an undergraduate degree in Zoology from the University of Maryland (1977), a Master’s degree in Zoology from West Virginia University (1980), and a Ph.D. in Zoology from Indiana University (1984). The author of over 300 peer-reviewed scientific papers and two books, he was a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Austin was equally proud of his role as team leader for the catechists of the Right of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Columbia. But most important to him was his role as loving ‘Granda’ to his grandchildren. Austin is survived by his wife of six years, Andrea L. Hougham Hughes; his stepson, Harry R. Browning and his wife, Teresa Nelson Browning and their two children, Isaac and Gwyneth; his stepson, Patrick H. Browning and his wife, Paula Sines Browning and their five children, Kane, Robbie, Molly, Annabelle and Lucy; his son, Austin L. Hughes, Jr.; and his daughter, Helen W. Hughes Wise and her husband, Matthew and their two children, Elliott and Claire. He is also survived by his sisters, Winifred Hughes Spar along with her husband Fred Spar and two sons, Adam and Alex Spar; Hildred Hughes Crill and her husband, Patrick Crill along with their two sons, Brendan Crill and Liam Crill; and his brother, Dennis D. Hughes. He is predeceased by his wife, Mary Ann K. Hughes and his parents, Edward Riley Hughes and Josephine Nicholls Hughes. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Birthright of Columbia, 1405 Gregg Street, Columbia, SC 29201 or Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Charleston, 1427 Pickens Street, Columbia, SC 29201.