Obituary of G.D. "Skip" Hughes
A funeral service for G.D. "Skip" Hughes, 87, of Arnolds Park, will be held Monday, January 25, 2021 at 2:00 pm at Harbor of Joy Lutheran Church in Milford. Visitation will begin one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be at Northlawn Cemetery in Spencer.
To view Skip's funeral service, please click the following link; https://youtu.be/z1NC3YIh7Fo
Gifford Duane "Skip" Hughes, the son of Walter and Evelyn (Knutson) Hughes, was born September 19, 1933, in Spirit Lake, Iowa. Skip attended a one room school through the 7th grade. He would either get there by walking, biking or in the winter, driving a pony cart to take his sister and himself to school. He graduated from Okoboji Township Consolidated High School west of Milford in 1951. After high school, Skip was drafted into the United States Army and served as Specialist until he was honorably discharged in 1956.
On December 22, 1971, Skip was married to Collette Hecht in Sioux City, Iowa. Skip started as a lineman for Northwestern Bell and worked various positions working his way up until becoming an engineer. He accepted an inter-company transfer to Mountain Bell, Phoenix, Arizona in 1981. He retired with thirty-five years of service and then did consulting work. He was a member of the Milford American Legion, Telephone Pioneers as well as various social clubs throughout his lifetime.
Skip and Collette moved to Arnolds Park thirteen years ago but enjoyed wintering in Arizona. He enjoyed instructing and calling square dancing, golfing, fishing, computer trading, baseball, slow pitch softball and spending time with his family.
Skip passed away January 22, 2021 at Lakes Regional Healthcare in Spirit Lake, Iowa at eighty-seven years of age.
He is survived by his wife, Collette Hughes of Arnolds Park, Iowa; son-in-law, J.R. Kacena of Van Horne, Iowa; two granddaughters, Sarah (Jeremy) Wright and Lisa Moorman; three great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren, all of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; two sisters, Marvel (Ken) Byers of Lake Park, Iowa and Jan (Duane) Glover of Lake Park, Iowa; brother, Keith (Lynn) Hughes of Arnolds Park, Iowa; several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Skip was preceded in death by his daughter, Julie A. Kacena; parents, Walt and Evelyn Hughes; parent-in-laws, Dennis and Violet Hecht.