Palestine High School Alumni Association

Irby Hughes 1942

04 / 07 / 1924  –  10 / 26 / 2010

Irby Bennett Hughes Jr., died October 26, 2010 in Houston, Texas.  He was born in Palestine, Texas on April 7, 1924 to Irby Bennett Hughes and Helen Hufsmith Hughes.

Mr. Hughes graduated from Palestine High School in May, 1942. After attending Texas A&M for one year, he served in the U.S. Army Air Corp from July 1943 to June 1947 as a pilot in the Troup Carrier Group and later in the Air Transport Command flying C-47s and C-54s. After leaving the service he enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin in the fall of 1947. He was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity.

After graduation in 1951 he went to work for The Texas Company in Houston, Texas. After retiring from Texaco in 1982 he pursued his vocation as an auditor in the oil and gas contract business. He was a member of the Petroleum Accountants Society of Houston (PASH), Texaco Retirees Club of Houston, Texaco Houston Comptrollers Upstream Retirees, Gulf Coast Wing of the CAF, and the Eagles (a group of WWII veterans).

He was preceded by his sister, Christine Hughes Summers.

Mr. Hughes is survived by his wife of 58 years, Virginia Murdaugh Hughes; his son, Irby Bennett Hughes III and wife Angela; his daughter, Helen Hughes Roessler and husband Drew; his grandsons, Dean and Noah Hughes and Andrew Roessler; his nephew, Alfred Hugh Summers; and sister-in-law, Inez Murdaugh Smith.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010, at Grace Presbyterian Church Chapel located at 10221 Ella Lee Lane, Houston, Texas 77042. A reception will follow at the church.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any donations be made to: Houston Hospice, 1905 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, Texas 77030; Ric Summers Appendiceal Cancer Research Fund, MD Anderson Center, PO Box 4486, Houston, Texas 77210; or to any charity of your choice.

Source: Palestine Herald-Press 10-28-2010