He was born on February 4, 1934, in Macon, IL, the son of Talmage and Irene (Crickman) Hughes. Ray married Marlene White on September 7, 1983, in Jacksonville, IL.
Ray proudly served his country in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He went on to work as a weather forecaster for the National Weather Service at Capital Airport in Springfield (now in Lincoln) for 35 years. Ray enjoyed woodworking, growing flowers, gardening, fishing, and hunting pheasant and quail. He was known to be very gentle, hardworking, and a bit introverted.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers; and three sisters.
Ray is survived by his wife, Marlene Hughes of Springfield; children, Ramona (John) Strnad of Aurora, IL and Wayne Hughes of Roswell, GA; sisters, Pat Hughes of Springfield and Anna Lou (Donald) Cook of Faribault, MN; and several nieces and nephews.
Cremation will be provided by Butler Cremation Tribute Center.
Graveside Ceremony: 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 31, 2025, at Camp Butler National Cemetery, with military honors provided.
The family is being served by Butler Funeral Home – Springfield, 900 S. Sixth St., Springfield.
