Larry was born in Michigan in 1963. He was the youngest of six children—three boys and three
girls. Larry was born to David and Leonore “Pinkie” Hughes. His family moved to Phoenix,
Arizona when Larry was two months old. He learned to swim in his backyard pool at the age of
2 and was featured in the Arizona newspaper to promote the Mom and Tot YMCA swim
program. Being the youngest, he had an idyllic childhood with all of his brothers and sisters.
When his family moved to Foster City in 1976, he started sailing small boats on the lagoon.
Larry met Catherine at the Duck Inn in San Mateo when introduced by mutual friends.
They were married in Lake Tahoe in 1995. They moved to Sacramento and started their family.
Always a man of service, he worked at Morton’s Steakhouse, waiting on several of the
Sacramento Kings throughout his time. He became the father to his daughter Jamie and son
Tyler. They were and are his pride and joy. Catherine and Larry separated after 13 years.
He built his successful pool business, creatively calling it “Larry’s Pool Service”. He
really considered most his customers, his friends. He joined the Independent Pool Service and
Spa Association, IPSSA. Every year the IPSSA group would throw a Christmas party and
collect toys for the “CHiP’s for Kids Toy Drive”. Larry would always encourage members to
donate bikes for underserved communities and tried to collect more each year than the year
before. He encouraged IPSSA to help provide free swim lessons for underprivileged kids as
well, leaving a legacy in IPSSA.
Larry had almost 26 years of sobriety. He was an active member in his AA chapter.
Every year, Larry would barbecue for their 4th of July picnic.
When his kids joined the Sunrise Sharks Swim Team, Larry ran the Snack Bar for 5
years. He’d wake up at the crack of dawn every Saturday morning to set-up. In the 10 years of
his kids swimming, he never missed a single swim meet.
Larry was an avid traveler. He would always bring his kids to join the Hughes family for
their annual houseboat trip on Lake Shasta. We don’t have enough fingers to count how many
kids he taught to water ski or times he drove the ski boat. If he wasn’t at the houseboat, you
could find him on a cruise to Cabo San Lucas or scuba diving up and down the west coast or
the Philippines.
He had knack for picking up hobbies and becoming the best in them. Larry would take
his kids mini-golfing and also played real golf with his friends. He took pride in beating his
brothers-in-law at a game of pool. Larry was also an avid snow-skier and taught his kids to
snow-ski in Lake Tahoe when they were little; a hobby they still do today.
After Tyler and Jamie left for school, he began dating Grace. The two of them travelled
to Reno, the Philippines twice, and once to Key West, Florida. He planned to retire early and
spend time in the Philippines and Arizona with Grace’s family and the Hughes family. He was a
pool and spa businessman, scuba diver, barefoot skier, snow skier, golfer and sailor. Anything
to do with being outside, in the water, or helping others, that’s what Larry would do.
Larry is preceded in death by his father and mother, David and Leonore “Pinkie”
Hughes, and his eldest brother, Roger. He is survived by his daughter, Jamie and son, Tyler. His
girlfriend, Grace Duatin, and her son, Andrew. He is also survived by sisters Nancy Morton,
Susan Hughes, Barbara Bruno, including his 11 nieces and nephews, and an older brother. He
is dearly missed by his friends and family.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.MountVernonMemorial.com for the Hughes family.
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