John was born on November 4, 1931, in Sunbury, NC, the youngest of seven children to the late Will Pugh and Maggie Perry Hudgins.
Johnny, as he was known by during his early years and by his family members throughout his life, grew up on a farm in Gates County, NC. Even though things were not plentiful, due to the Depression, Johnny grew up a happy child in a loving family. Being the youngest child, he was said to be spoiled by his sisters and Aunt Minnie Perry, his mother’s sister, who lived with them.
During his teenage years, Johnny was very active in the Methodist Youth Fellowship, school sports, and the Glee Club. He graduated from Sunbury High School with Honors in 1950. He then entered the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, from which he earned his Bachelors degree in 1954, and his Masters degree in Education in 1961. While there, he was a member of the Phi Eta Sigma honorary scholastic fraternity.
Johnny’s early career was in the field of Education. He taught school in Raleigh, NC at Frances Lacy School and at Daniels Junior High School, and A B. Combs School, where he also served as Principal for two years. He also taught for four years in Arlington, VA and Jacksonville, FL.
In 1965 John changed careers and went to work for Nationwide Insurance Company as an Automobile Underwriter. There, he rose through the ranks to Personal Lines Underwriting Manager, from which he retired in 1990.
John enjoyed his retirement years. Early on he spent a good deal of time at home in Kill Devil Hills, NC. He later sold his beach home and bought a motorhome in which he and his partner traveled throughout the Southeast and on weekend vacations. He loved life. He was an avid fan of Tar Heel sports, and a longtime member of the UNC Rams Club. He was a diehard Boston Red Sox fan. He enjoyed gardening and always had a beautiful yard.
John is survived by his, spouse, Donald Gray Pendergrass; nephews, George P. Kittrell, Jr., and his wife, Mary Katherine; nieces, Sally Hudgins Fentress, Sandra Hudgins Smith; and several grand nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, John was preceded in death by his sisters, Louise H. Kittrell, and her husband, George, Hattie H. Ashbell, and her husband, Vernon, Lucy H. Kittrell, and her husband, John, and Minnie Lee H. Campbell, and her husband, Donald; and his brother, William Perry Hudgins, and his wife, Blanche, infant brother, William Pugh Hudgins, Jr., and his special friend, Ray Hoppes.
A funeral service will be held on Monday, September 16, 2024 at 1:00pm in the Chapel of Mitchell Funeral Home. The family will receive visitors prior to the service, beginning at 11:30am. Burial will follow in Raleigh Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Transitions LifeCare, or to the Rams Club at UNC-Chapel Hill.
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