New England District - News Update

[Bill Fastiggi]

It is with great sadness that I am writing about the passing of John Hughes.  John passed away last Thursday 5/21 after a long illness (pulmonary fibrosis).  I am pretty sure he was 87 years old.

 

I’ve not yet seen an obituary, but I wanted to share a few thoughts. 

I have so many memories of John – far too many to make note of here.

John began sailing Lightnings when he first moved to Burlington, VT in the early 1970’s.  Our families were close.  Brian sailed with his dad all the time when we were kids.  Michael sailed occasionally but it wasn’t a passion of his and Shelley sailed with her dad and Brian for many years as well.  Michael and I were High School classmates.  John ran a TV station, started a radio station which he sold, and the family moved to Salem, NH in the early 80s.  We stayed close because we would see the Hughes family sailing all summer long.  John served as commodore of the NE District – I always referred to him as “Commodore for life”.  His enthusiasm was infectious.  There are just so many things to say, so many stories about John, Eve, and the kids, and just so many memories. 

 

There are just so many things you could say about John, but I think the one thing that he would most want to be remembered for was that he was the ultimate “Family Man”

 

Sail on Commodore...

 

Bill Fastiggi
Vermont Sailing Partners
150 West Canal St.
Winooski, VT 05404
802-655 SAIL (7245)
www.vtsailing.com