Hughard Kermitt Daniel

Born to Clarence and Lilly Daniel on October 16, 1925 in Center, Alabama, he began a very adventurous and colorful outdoor life, filled with fishing, hunting squirrels for 0.25 each, and working HARD on his father’s farm. He left Alabama when he was only 14 years old to work with his brother, Miller, on a Ranch near Maryneal, Texas.

In 1943 he joined the Navy, was stationed at Hawaii and remained there until his discharge in 1946.

Stateside he shortly found himself in Lubbock, Texas, where he met, courted, chased and finally caught and married the love of his life Mary Ruth Sparks on August 5, 1950. And thus began a marriage of 52 years that quickly produced their two children whom they raised with an unmatched love and affection.

Although he was just beginning a new career in road construction he found time to coach his son’s Pee Wee and Little League Baseball teams. He always made time for annual family vacations, usually to Lake City, Colorado where he continued his lifelong interest in fishing.

Hugh’s initial involvement with the Shriners, Masons, Scottish Rites and later with the Lubbock Boys Club and Meals on Wheels never abated.

And all along his interest in anything sports related soon became focused on Texas Tech Athletics, particularly football, with season tickets acquired in 1965 that continue to this day.

A substance abuse scholarship in the name of Tracy Daniel was created at Center for the Study of Addiction at Texas Tech University in 1991.

His gracious nature led to parties put on by he and his wife in Ruidoso that resulted in fish fries anyplace he could find a flat spot for the cooker.

Hugh’s card and domino proficiency was responsible for his Monday night poker game and daily domino match at, “The Tree”.

But his greatest passion always remained with fishing. Whether at a stream or lake in Colorado or the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, a fishing rod was never far from his hands. His favorite hole always remained Caddo Lake in Northeastern Texas. More than once he said, “I would rather be here than any other place I’ve fished before”.

He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Kent and Billie Lou Daniel and daughter and granddaughter Tracy and Cheyenne Daniel; as well as multiple nieces and nephews scattered throughout.