Peter "Pete" Duane Hughes

Pete grew up in Arcadia with his parents Bill and Rosie and his brothers Will and Joe. He attended Arcadia High School and was an active athlete known as somewhat of a daredevil. There are stories of him jumping from second story rooms into a pool and cliff jumping into rivers and lakes. On a 600-mile trip in Australia, he rode his bicycle to visit his grandfather in Queensland. Pete was a skilled motorcycle rider and in his high school years he rode motorcycles in the California desert. Pete excelled in track and graduated from high school with a track scholarship from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo.

Once in San Luis Obispo Pete’s interest in motorcycling blossomed as did his love of the community. He established life-time friendships with fellow riders and gained a reputation as a leader in the motorcycle community. But motorcycling became more than just a hobby; it came to be his vocation. Initially he worked in wholesale motorcycle goods, but soon he opened a retail motorcycle shop; SLO City Cycles located in San Luis Obispo.

Pete’s life in San Luis Obispo was dedicated to motorcycling, and he combined his many friendships with the business of operating his motorcycle dealership. He hosted rides for his customers and opened his shop to the community. He became a active in a local motorcycle club (the CCMA) working to preserve and protect off-road motorcycle trails.

But in the late 1990s Peter closed his motorcycle shop and returned to Southern California to work in his family’s business, King Meats. Pete continued to enjoy motorcycling, and he stayed connected to his many motorcycling friends, but his work was focused on the family business and his family.

Pete met his wife Loretta Manzanares Hughes. What started as a friendship years ago slowly blossomed into something truly magical. That magic became real when they built their home together in Glendora, California. This project, special to their hearts, was a labor of love. So much so, that during the summer solstice of 2024, they became husband and wife, bringing together Pete, Loretta, Pete’s children Zach, Haley and Loretta’s son, Julius, as one family, along with their 3 spoiled dogs.

Zach and his wife Marisa have two children, Zen and Makena. They kept their visits with “Papa Pete” filled with a special love and energy. During these visits, Zach and Pete could always be found standing over the smokers and grills, eagerly testing out a recipe for dinner that night. In April of this year, Haley’s heart became full with the birth of her son, Ryden. Every morning, it would begin with a FaceTime call from Haley, where Ryden always wore the biggest smile just hearing Pete’s voice. Julius, is a recent graduate from Cal Poly SLO. Julius and Pete shared a passion for tinkering in the garage, where the two of them could always be found collaborating on some idea which often led to building something together. Julius has been a tower of strength and a rock for his mom during this time.

A Celebration of His Life will be held at Hughes Casa, on November 19, 2026, beginning at 2:30 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the Hughes Family graciously requests that you consider making a donation to the following charities:

-Road 2 Recovery Foundation

https://road2recovery.com

-Boys Republic

https://boysrepublic.org

-Boys & Girls Club of Pasadena

https://www.bgcpasadena.org

-AMA Hall of Fame Motorcycle Museum

https://motorcyclemuseum.org

-RiderDown Foundation

https://riderdown.org

-Central Coast Motorcycle Association

-Central Coast Trail Riders Association

https://www.pozoriders.com