David E. Hughes, 100, of Ames passed away on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Visitation for Dave will be from 6-8 pm on Friday, May 19 at Stevens Memorial Chapel in Ames. Burial will be private at South St. Petri Cemetery.
David was born on November 24, 1922 in Deansboro, New York, the youngest child of John and Ella (Eastman) Hughes. He grew up on a dairy farm loving animals. He had a pony and filled his time taking care of goats and cows. His world revolved around his mother and his sister, Mary.
When Dave was 16 he graduated from Waterville High School. He did not really have any plans, so he stayed on the farm and learned all he could about milking and farming. In 1942 when the Army Air Corps changed requirements to include high school graduates, he signed up with several buddies. At 19 he went to boot camp in San Antonio, Texas. His first flight school was in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. From there, he trained in Lake Charles, Louisiana and graduated from flight training at Aloe Field Victoria, Texas in February 1943.
Dave was selected to be a flight trainer, attended instructor school in San Antonio, and began teaching pilots at Strother Field, Winfield, Kansas. He was not in actual combat during the war, but it was challenging to teach flying.
Dave married Martha Hutchison on his 21st birthday in 1943. Once World War II was over he was a supply officer in St. Joseph, Missouri. Returning to New York after the war, Dave attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and graduated from Veterinary College in 1951. Dave took a job with the USDA in Beltsville, Maryland to research cattle diseases. From there he moved to Ames in 1960 when the new Animal Disease Laboratory opened. His main area of research was Pink Eye in cattle along with Dr. George Pugh. He met and married Freda Sines in 1963. Dave retired from the Army Reserves in 1972 and from the USDA in 1977.
Dave and Pat purchased a small acreage NW of Ames and boarded horses. They were interested in rocks and minerals and vacationed around the country searching for semi-precious stones. Dave loved babies of all kinds, human and animal. He was a true scientist and had a researcher mindset his whole life. He recently recorded the weights of garden gourds to see how fast they were drying day to day. He loved flying, airplanes and watched as much NASA space coverage as he could. He valued education and encouraged his family to reach for their dreams. He will be remembered as meticulous, stubborn, and generous.
Left to cherish his memory are children Connee Hughes, Kansas City, MO, Michael Hughes, Medina, OH, April West, Ames, Patricia (Randy) Hilleman, St. Anthony, IA, Sheree (Gary) Irwin, Weiser, ID and daughter in law Joann Sines, West Jordan, UT. Grandchildren Brian (Carla) Henley, Michael Hughes Jr, Marcy (Bob) Bean, Leslee (Travis Wilkinson) Hilleman, Haley (Nick) Tiedt, Gregory (Rebekah) Sines, Benjamin (Heidi) Sines, Nikki (Brad) Bybee, Barry Sines, Kimberli (Jonathan) Silvester, Joseph (Bethany) Sines, 26 great grandchildren and 7 great-great-grandchildren.
Dave was preceded in death by Freda “Pat” Hughes, parents John and Ella Hughes, sisters Floribel Cronshey, Blodwyn Courtney and Mary Cook, brother John “Buster” Hughes, stepson Gregory Lynn Sines and friend and colleague George Washington Pugh.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Heartland Senior Services, Ames, Iowa.
