Charles Edward Hughes

Charles (Chuck) E. Hughes passed away Sunday, September 20, 2020. He was born on August 26, 1931, in Johnson City, Tennessee. Chuck joined the United States Air Force in 1951 and was stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, where he subsequently worked for the Civil Service at the Special Weapons Lab for the next 34 years.

Chuck attended the University of New Mexico and, while working full time, earned his Bachelor of Science degree with Distinction in Electrical Engineering in 1971. Outside of work and school, baseball and softball were always an integral part of Chuck’s life, and he started young, lettering in baseball two years in a row at Science Hill High School in Johnson City, Tennessee. This team won both their conference championship and the Southeast High School Baseball Tournament in 1949, and Chuck was named to the All-Conference team. Later, he went on to play on the USAF 4928th Test Support Squadron team, Wings; coach his sons in Little League; and play softball with his church leagues. After his retirement in 1989, he played senior softball until he sustained a knee injury at age 83. His team, the Duke City Seniors, placed third in the Senior Softball World Series in 1991. Church was also a very important part of Chuck’s life, and you could often find him serving on committees, doing repairs, and helping with maintenance on the church and its related properties. Chuck is survived by his wife of 67 years, Irma; two sons, David (Cyndy) and Tom; and one granddaughter, Sage. Another son, Dan, preceded him in death in September 2019.

A Celebration of Chuck’s Life will be held on Friday, October 2, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. at the University Heights United Methodist Church, 2210 Silver Ave SE, Albuquerque, NM, 87106. COVID safe practices will be followed. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the University Heights United Methodist Church, www.umcuniversityheights.com