Maj. Ret.

Born in Lyons, Kansas on March 30, 1945 Departed on February 29, 2016 and resided in Hendersonville, TN Life Celebration: Hendersonville Funeral Home Room: ChapelSaturday March 5, 2016 3:00pm to 4:00pmVisitation: Hendersonville Funeral Home Room: Stateroom ASaturday March 5, 2016 1:00pm to 3:00pm

Maj. Kenneth B. Hughes, USAF, Ret., 70, of Hendersonville, TN, passed away on Monday, Feb. 29, 2016. He was born March 30, 1945, in Lyons, Kansas. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ellis F. Hughes and Nova D. Hubbard Hughes. He is survived by his loving and supportive wife, Lucille, and four children:
Keith (Cheryl) Hughes of Killeen, TX; Kirstan Hughes of Hong Kong, China; Meghan(Greg) Jones of Moore, OK; and Victoria (Mike) Sharpe of Coldbrook, NY; twin brother Dennis (Judith) Hughes of Hendersonville, TN,; brother Gary (Kay) Hughes of Bixby, OK; and sister Gail Hughes McClure of St. Paul, MN. He is also survived by grandchildren Camryn Jones, Deagan Jones, Samantha Montana, Keisha Sharpe, Katie Sharpe, seven great-grandchildren, and a host of beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Ken was raised in Lyons, Kansas. He played tennis, baseball, and basketball at Lyons High School and also played flute in the marching band. He was an avid collector of comic books. He attended Kansas State University where he studied nuclear engineering. He completed his university education at Arizona State University where he graduated in 1971 with a B.S. in engineering.
In January 1968 he enlisted in the United States Air Force and attained the rank of Major before he retired in July 1988 after 20 years of service. He was a computer programmer and worked with main frame IBM computers. He wrote what was known then as MAD-programs (Mutual Assured Destruction) which guided nuclear missiles to attack Russian targets. In addition to stateside postings in Mississippi, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, he was assigned to SAC Headquarters in Omaha, NE. He served overseas in Canada and Korea. In retirement, he worked for several companies as a systems analyst before retiring in 1995.
Ken loved the movies and was a master at remembering and analyzing movie plots. He enjoyed video games. Favorites were Diablo and Dungeons and Dragons. He was a lifelong lover of comics and amassed a sizeable collection of Disney and Marvel comic books. Ken's interests also included music especially the 50's, the 70's and rock and roll. The Kingston Trio and Peter, Paul, and Mary were among his choice artists. A favorite musical past time was singing karaoke. He was an avid fan of Star Trek and enjoyed sci-fi.
As a military retiree, Ken was very supportive of Vietnam Veterans of America and the VFW, both here and in Lampasas, TX, where they lived before moving to Tennessee in 2010. He will be sorely missed by his many friends and family.
The family wishes to thank Alive Hospice of Madison, TN, for the compassionate and attentive care he received in his last days.
A celebration of his life will be Saturday, March 5, 2016, at Hendersonville Funeral Home, 353 E. Main Street. Visitation from 1 to 2:45 p.m. Service at 3 p.m. Burial will be in the Central Texas Veterans Cemetery in Killeen, TX.
Memorial contributions may be made to Alive Hospice, 1807 Patterson St., Nashville, TN, 37203; Vietnam Veterans of America, Sumner County, P.O. Box 1281, Gallatin, TN 37066, or American Cancer Society, 2000 Charlotte Ave., Nashville, TN 37203.

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