Condolence: Our heartfelt condolences to Connie, Dave, Jim and families. We will miss Carol and Jim greatly, and will cherish all the fond memories we made with them.

Condolence: Hughes family, I share with you the grief of your loss as I have in the past. Your parents have been very influential in my life. Since childhood, I was welcome in your home as if I actually belonged there. I had special bonds with each of your parents. Your mom very much understood the loss that I experienced when I lost my own mom at my still tinder age of 26 years old. There were many things going on in my life that I was too immature and inarticulate to express or to accept. But over the years Carol gave me her ear and helped me understand, accept, and change my outlook and actions, She was a master of knowing what and how I was thinking, and her iron hand in the velvet glove gave to me the confidence that I needed to survive and thrive. Her gentle but firm words helped me through many dark hours. I'll admit that there were isolated times where she had to reign in my ego a bit and launch a shot across my bow. That always trued-up my course. Carol and I both had Apple ][ computers and would get together and discuss programs that we were writhing. I would show her a slick sorting routine or expand her memory to the maximum. She taught me how to make random access files onto a floppy disk drive. Essentially, creating a database. It was a computer club with two members. She and I were the charter members of our very own geek club. Carol always loved my dogs. They were always allowed entry, love, and adoration at 1536. She was my second mom. And she told me that on several occasions. I loved her. I always loved spending time with Big Jim. I was a good student all through school, and math was my deal. I would come over to the house, and Jim would ask me "what chapter are you in in math?" I say something like "completing the square, conjugates, or implicit proof and induction." He'd ask how I felt about whatever subject I'd mentioned, and if I said I was a little shakey on it, he would pull out a textbook (the same as mine) and he's go over it with me formerly. We'd do this for 1-2 hours at a time sometimes. Right at the kitchen table. This would happen tow or three times a month for four years. And I always got A's. I learned a lot from that man in observing how he did thing. Always a man for real work, like construction or car repair, he always had a plan. Usually written. And he'd let me help. Those projects would have been completed faster without my help, but he always wanted teach me the right way. He had a profound influence on what I am today. In the summer of 2007 Jim and Carol presented me a work of art created by his mind and hands. It is large framed lead/stained glass window depicting a mountain scene. He helped me mount it in the front window of my house in OCC. It remained there until I moved out several years later. I still own it and it will have a prized place in my next home. Hughes kids, you came from great stock and you were loved, adored, and intellectually nourished by two of the greatest humans I'll ever remember. All my love to the Hughes family. Kelly

Condolence: Dear family, My husband, Bill and I just celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary and were very moved by the Gazette's article and subsequent obituary relating your parents passing and life story. We, too, hold hands a lot and can only hope our lives could end together as did your parents. It appears they were destined to pass so closely together as they seemed to have truly been "soul mates". Our deepest sympathies and also warm thoughts of having had such loving and caring parents! With warmest regards, Bill and Bonnie Allen

Condolence: Connie, My deepest condolences on your loss. You are in my thoughts. Penny Rodriguez