It is with great sorrow, the family of Gordon Ulyss Guy Hughes, born June 17, 1938, announces his passing after a long battle with dementia, a short illness, and complications after a stroke at the young age of 80, on February 4, 2019.

Gordon was born to Ulyss Hughes and Wyomia Glynn in Casper, Wyoming. He grew up with the influence of many family members and caregivers.  One of his many stories about growing up was how he spent the first six months of his life in a dresser drawer.  From the beginning, he was a stickler for the rules unless he decided they were not for him.

Gordon served in the United States Marines Corps from 1958-1979; and found a new structure and order for himself. While serving, he earned the National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal w/5*, Vietnam Service Medal, Meritorious Unit Citation w/1*, Armed Forces Expedition Medal, and a M-14 Marksman Badge and he retired as a Staff Sergeant.

Gordon was never one to let a rolling stone gather any moss, though he did let his heart settle in Effingham County after his military retirement. He started his family, found his footing in his church, and began his civilian life.  Gordon worked for the Derst Bread Company, Office Depot, an armored car service, and as security for local businesses in Savannah and surrounding areas.  He would tell stories of how he had made deliveries of either supplies or armored services all over the area.  He especially enjoyed sharing stories of his security days.

Gordon's time in the USMC helped him developed a knack for record keeping and order. He became a collector of VHS tapes (while they were popular), DVDs, then Blu-Rays.  They were not only alphabetized, but also categorized by genre and in some cases by time period.  Gordon would be able to tell you if he had the movie or if he had loaned it out and would make sure that he kept your name on file if you "rented" his movies.

Gordon also collected dragons, USMC memorabilia, and books. It was rare that you would find him without a book either in his hand, backpack, or tucked into the front of his shirt. He found great pleasure and accomplishment in telling others how many pages he had read by the end of the day.  Gordon liked to do word and number puzzles, and discovered coloring was a way for him to channel his creative energy.

Later in his life, Gordon enjoyed spending his time at the Senior Center, finding and making new friends from many different places. One of his favorite parts was riding the bus because he was able to give the new drivers directions and possible instructions as to the policy and procedure of his trip home.  One of his famous lines was that he could not talk to anyone, because he did not know anyone, but those close to him knew that he would be able to stand in the grocery store and discuss something as simple as a loaf of bread with a stranger for an hour and a half.  He made sure to be the first to welcome any newcomers and all members to the centers he attended, there was never a stranger Gordon met.

Gordon will be forever missed by his children, Samuel (Brandice) Hughes, Michael (Lee) Hughes, and Ashleigh (Lee) Bailey, and their loving mother, Jenny Hughes. He will be fondly remembered by his granddaughter, Kaylee Hughes, her furry cousins, and any future additions to the family.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Friday, February 8, 2019 at the Georgia Veteran's Memorial Cemetery in Glennville, GA with full military honors.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to either the Liberty County Senior Center: In Memory of Gordon Hughes to Liberty Neighborhood Center, 800 Tupelo Trail, Hinesville, GA 31313 or to the Richmond Hill Senior Center, In Memory of Gordon Hughes, 9930 Ford Avenue, Richmond Hill, GA 31324.