Ralph Elborne Hughes

Loving Husband, Father of three, PopPop to four, Grampa to thirteen and, Great Grampa to two, Ralph passed away peacefully with his loving wife Louise by his side on June 8, 2014 at the Foothills Medical Center. Gentle, generous, and loving, Ralph fought hard throughout his life, despite some later setbacks, to experience and share more of life with his family and friends. It was important to him to set an example for all of his cherished family to work hard for and to realize the opportunities that life had to offer.

Ralph is survived by his partner of nearly 30 years (Louise Hughes) and his brother Ed (Ollie) Hughes and was very proud "Patriarch" to 7 children, Randy (Sheila) Hughes; Bret Hughes, Brad (Margaret Rhijnsburger) Boyle; Jennifer Boyle, Timothy Boyle; Doug (Heather) Boyle and was loving "PopPops" to a passel of Grandchildren: Shanda (Jeff) Kilborn; Adam Boyle, Karleigh Smith-Boyle, Tristan Hughes, Erin Boyle, Graham Smith-Boyle, Sydney Boyle, Sam Hughes, Colin Hughes, Max Hughes, MacInnes Boyle, and 2 Great-Grandchildren, Easton and Eloise Kilborn. Ralph was predeceased by his first wife Gloria (Leishman) Hughes and his parents, Elbourne and Edna Hughes.

Ralph was born in Edmonton Alberta on January 7, 1940. Ralph spoke often of his treasured childhood memories, including the great lifelong friendships formed while experiencing Alberta as it was. Special recognition must be provided to Dr. Fred Wilson who became his life-long best friend after meeting at age 5. Great experiences include all those unfortunate run-ins and schemes that only an adventurous boy running loose with his dearest friends can have: skunks, too many wasps (and stings) to count, great horned owls, trap-lines, and the thin brown trail realized after stepping on a partridge while being worried about larger things.

A sports letterman in school, Ralph also excelled at all aspects of academics, and attended the University of Alberta, where he completed a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering and received a full scholarship for a Master’s of Science.

Welcoming hard work throughout his university days, Ralph took great pride in his physical abilities as a rough neck, as well as the mental challenges of leading and doing the math for a survey crew in the growing Alberta oil-patch. Ralph reveled in these demanding camp jobs and, if it wasn’t for the oncoming Alberta winter, would have been happy with this life.

Ralph was a graduate of the University of Alberta where he completed a Bachelor of Science Degree in Petroleum Engineering and received a full scholarship for a Master’s of Science Degree. He joined McDaniel & Associates after graduation in 1961 and quickly proved himself within the organization as a Consulting Petroleum Engineer, Director, President and Vice Chairman of the organization. Ralph was also President of his own company REH Consultants. With great admiration and respect, he spoke often on the strength and capability of those he worked with and also about the people he had the great privilege to mentor along the way.

Sharing the time since 1984 with his great love of the last thirty years, Louise (Boyle), he enjoyed a lifetime dedicated to hard work and setting a good example for the young people in his life. One special place over the years was the “Cabin” out at Invermere where Louise and Ralph mentored and fed large numbers of the kids friends known as “The Cabin Crew” where they called him Papa Bear. Spending winter retirement time in Arizona, amazing new friends were quickly found. Together they spent many days travelling and enjoyed many memorable dinners, cruises and re-hashing of business with the Mulqueen’s with whom they had started planning a trip to Ireland so Pat and Bridget could show him how similar growing up in Ireland was to growing up in Western Canada. Ralph often referred to them as his Irish-American “Dr. FREDs”.

Ralph believed strongly in giving of his time and was an active community and professional volunteer. He took great satisfaction in acting as a cub master, a hockey coach (despite being unable to skate), and a long term champion of education for all. He was also a long term volunteer in the development of the profession of engineering through APEGA, acting as chairman of numerous committees, with the Canadian Council of Professional Geoscientists, for which he received a special long service commendation and, the University of Calgary Super Computer Services.

Aside from his love of the outdoors, Ralph loved travelling the world with Louise and also loved powerboats and sailboats. Accepting and defeating one of the great physical and mental challenges of his life, Ralph navigated a small sail boat from New York to Bermuda while battling a tremendous storm that ultimately flipped his boat in the middle of the Atlantic.

Ralph led a full life, and while some speak yearningly of things that might happen someday, Ralph never did. With the assistance of the expert care and attention of the medical staff at the Foothill and Rockyview Medical Centers, he successfully fought hard for many more lives, and used every one of the nine that are typically only reserved for the strongest of men.

Dedicated to championing higher education, and recognizing that there are many who might not otherwise have the opportunity, the Louise and Ralph Hughes Bursary has been formed at St. Mary’s University College. In lieu of flowers, donations to St. Mary’s University, 14500 Bannister Rd SE Calgary Alberta, T2X 1Z4 (www.stmu.ca) or a charity of choice would be appreciated by the family.

We will miss him, his lessons, his kindness, his generosity, his careful guiding hand, and yes of course his whistle, which will no longer call us to supper.

A Celebration of his Life will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, June 13, 2014 FOSTER’S GARDEN CHAPEL, 3220 4 Street N.W., Calgary (across from Queen’s Park Cemetery). Expressions of sympathy may be forwarded to the family via the website www.fostersgardenchapel.ca.

FOSTER’S GARDEN CHAPEL

FUNERAL HOME AND CREMATIORIUM

Telephone: 403-297-0888

Honoured Provider of Dignity Memorial