Harold A. Hughes

On Thursday, December 6, 2018, Harold Arthur (Bud) Hughes, husband and father of five children, passed away at the age of 76. Harold was born in Dayton Township of Newaygo County, Michigan, on October 27, 1942, to Carol Emmeline (Price) Hughes and Harold Arthur Hughes. He was the first of three children.

As a child, Harold attended a one-room schoolhouse but suffered from rheumatic fever, which caused him to miss numerous days of his education. The small one-room school house gave him a leg up because he would listen to his lessons as well as those of the advanced classes, helping him catch up and excel, ultimately skipping grades and finishing school ahead of his class.

Harold grew up on a farm where his family raised cows, chickens, and various crops. A typical day for him involved getting up before dawn. He milked 32 cows in the morning, and went to school. After school, he played football, and then returned to milking the cows again in the evening. Four-H and Future Farmers of America were a big part of his formative years. After graduating high school, Harold enrolled at Michigan State University, having earned a scholarship. He completed a bachelor's degree in Agricultural Engineering in 1964.

In 1964, Harold also married Beatrice Carol Knight and they moved to Tucson, Arizona where he worked and earned a Master’s Degree in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Arizona. They then moved to Guelph, Ontario, Canada where Harold worked at the University of Guelph as a professor and researcher in mechanical fruit and vegetable harvesting.

Their first child, Christopher John, was born in 1966, Trevor Dickenson followed in 1967, and Hal Gilbert in 1970.

In 1968, Harold and his family moved to Huntsville, Alabama, where he worked for NASA in a summer research and development program with engineers from across the nation on the Skylab space station. Upon completion, he returned to Guelph.

After completing his work at Guelph, Harold and Bea took their family back to Michigan State University, and with the help of an assistantship and scholarship, earned his Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering in 1973. Soon after, he accepted a position at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA as an associate Professor and Extension Specialist and moved his young. At Virginia Tech, he went on to become a full Professor. He specialized in design of animal housing including poultry, hog and horse facilities, helping people throughout the state of Virginia.

Harold’s fourth son, Douglas Eugene, was born in 1977, and his daughter, Theresa Marie, in 1979.

Harold returned to Michigan State University In 1986 as Director of the School of Packaging. He stepped down as Director in 1992 to finish out his career as a Professor. He retired January 1, 2014.

During his distinguished career, Harold earned many honors, worked on many notable projects, and taught many classes. He influenced thousands of students. His work as a Professor has also positively affected many of the products, foods, and their packages with which we all interact on a daily basis. His consulting work was multifaceted, including testimony as an expert witness, personal injury, system analysis, and patent infringement lawsuits. His speaking engagements about packaging spanned many countries. Machine design, design analysis, and time and motion studies were his passion.

Throughout the course of his work at the School of Packaging at Michigan State University and at Virginia Tech, he had the privilege to visit many countries. Among his favorites were Sweden, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, and the countries of Southeast Asia.

He filled his home life with enjoyable hobbies of woodworking and gardening. He found it immensely rewarding watching his children evolve into the fine men they are today. His grandchildren Zachary, Amy, Noah, Marianna, Patrick, Collin and Audrey always had a special place in his heart.

Harold was preceded in death by his father, Harold, mother, Carol, son, Hal, and daughter, Theresa. Surviving Harold are his wife of 54 years, Beatrice, sons, Christopher, Trevor, and Douglas, his above-mentioned grandchildren, his sisters, Frances and Kathleen, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 am Monday, December 10, 2018 at St. John Church and Student Center at 327 M.A.C. Ave, East Lansing, Michigan, 48823. Visitation will be at the Church from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.

Harold’s family will inter his remains at Westview Cemetery in Blacksburg, VA.

We will all greatly miss Harold.