Dr. Bernard "Bernie" O. Hughes

Dr. Bernard “Bernie” Owen Hughes, PhD, 96, longtime Superior resident, died, Saturday, June 27, 2020, at New Perspectives Senior Living in Superior, Wis.

Bernie was born an only child in St. Paul, Minn., May 2, 1924, the son of Owen and Addie (Thatcher) Hughes. He was raised on a hard scrabble dairy farm in the Town of Lucas, nine miles west of Menomonie, Wis., before electricity, running water, and inside toilets. He grew up milking cows, and feeding and caring for pigs, chickens, and other farm animals.

Bernie attended Lucas Valley Elementary with only one teacher for all eight grades and an inadequate library. Luckily, teacher Marion Lynch was a Seventh-day Adventist who went Saturdays to Menomonie for church and brought him books from the public library. He graduated from Dunn County Agricultural High School, Menomonie, which bussed in farm kids between morning and evening chores. He was active in sports including boxing.

Bernie attended Stout Institute, Menomonie, before enlisting, Dec. 10, 1942, for WWII. He served his country in the US Army at several bases before transferring to Camp McCoy in Wis. for honorable discharge, Sept. 13, 1945.

Bernie was united in marriage to Miss Jean Francis Stoll, daughter of Daniel and Delia (Olson) Stoll, all of the town of Lucas. They were married on Nov. 19, 1944, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in the city of Menomonie. To this union three children were born: Barry, MaryBeth, and Terry.

Following Bernie’s military service, he worked at the Menomonie Aluminum Plant and reentered Stout Institute where, before graduating, he was offered a teaching job in Poplar, Mont., tribal headquarters for the Assiniboine Indian Nation. He taught junior and senior high school there for six years and completed his bachelor’s degree at Stout and a master’s from the University of Minnesota.

Bernie was an educator for many years, serving as Superintendent of Schools for 13 years, the last five in Hamilton, Mont., where, during those years, he finished his doctoral degree at Washington State University, Pullman, Wash. He also served as the Director of Lab School for two years at Mankato University, Mankato, Minn., after which he worked 19 years at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, retiring as Emeritus Professor in 1997 to fulfill traveling plans with his wife who had terminal brain cancer. She died Feb.15, 1999, following 54 years of marriage.

Bernie was active in the Elks and served as vice chairman of the Superior School Board, president of the YMCA board, and president of the Lions Club. He worked with the Superior City Civil Service Commission and the Commission on Aging. In retirement he served the community with the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, Senior Connections, the United Way Board, the Aging Resource Center, the Catholic Charities Office, and other organizations.

Not all spare time went to volunteering. He was a great handball enthusiast, playing regularly up to his 80 ^th birthday and becoming the local “godfather of handball.” One might suspect that his active support of YMCA fund-raising was in part to assure good courts there. And at New Perspectives he continued near daily workouts until the week before his death.

Bernie also wrote many columns for Duluth and Superior newspapers. He stressed issues including social justice, the dangers of rapid global population growth, and the importance of humor. His own strong sense of humor was manifest in regular give-and-take, not least in the 6:00 AM coffee group that he helped establish and that met daily for decades.

In 2003, Bernie married Joyce R. Kunz, née Nichols, fellow church member at the Duluth Unitarian Church, who had similarly lost her husband; they celebrated 17 years of marriage before her passing, Mar. 10, 2020.

Bernie is survived by his children: Barry (Janet) Hughes, Denver, Col., MaryBeth (Ron) Scavo, Blaine, Minn., and Terry (Joy) Hughes, Powell, Ohio; grandchildren: Marc Scavo, Blaine, Minn., Angela (Steve) Kokesh, Ramsey, Minn., Melinda (Arjen) van Eijmeren, Los Angeles, Calif., Daniel (Lauren) Hughes, Ann Arbor, Mich.; and great grandchildren: Megan Jean Kokesh, Anna Kokesh, Molly Kokesh, Adelaide Hughes, and Lyla Hughes; sister-in-law, Joanne (Lorne) Croye, Wellton, Ariz.; nephew Tom (Patricia) Stoll and niece Kathy (Gerald) Miller, both of the Town of Lucas, and step-daughter, Cynthia Kunz, Surf City, N. C.

Bernie was preceded in death by his parents, his wives: Jean and Joyce; two brothers-in-law: Donald Stoll and David Thorud; a sister-in-law, Bonnie Stoll; and a step-son, David Kunz.

Should friends desire, in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Bernie’s name to Senior Connections, 1805 N. 16 ^th Street, Superior, WI 54880, YMCA, 9 N. 21 ^st Street, Superior, WI 54880, or to Shriners Hospital or Planned Parenthood.

The Downs-LeSage Funeral Home, 1304 Hammond Avenue, Superior, is assisting the family with arrangements. To leave a condolence or sign the guestbook, please visit the website at www.downs-lesage.com .