I grew up with Rick Hughes in a small town in West, Virginia named Alderson in the 50s . I come today as a representative of all the people who knew Rick in Alderson, who are saddened by his passing, who love Rick, and who send their prayers and thoughts for the comfort of Barb and the family. Rick was an Alderson legend, friend and brother. 

Rick moved to Alderson in the fifth grade. Rick, Allan Galloway and me played football and basketball together in junior high school and high school. Allan and I also played youth baseball together. Rick and Allan were great athletes. I was a great BSer. I am not suggesting that I could out talk Rick. I do not think anyone could. But I was a better BSer.  I am also not suggesting I was a ladies man but I was better looking than either one of them. 

Allan was a great football player and received a football scholarship to attend the University of Minnesota. Rick was a great rebounder and inside scorer in basketball and would have been a division one basketball player if he would have been a couple of inches taller. I remember him best as a defensive end in football. He was so strong that if he got his hands on a blocker, he was not going to get blocked. He would toss blockers off like a sack of groceries. 

Rick and I attended and graduated from West Virginia University. At that time, major colleges had freshman basketball teams and Rick made the freshman team. One of his teammates, Larry Lodato from Cleveland nicknamed Rick, “Ozark”. We tried to explain to Larry that The Ozarks are in Arkansas and Missouri and that West Virginia hillbillies are from the Appalachians. But “Ozark “ in the end was a better sounding nickname than Appalachia.  

After college I wandered around the world as later Rick and Barb would do. We did not communicate regularly for many years. About 25 years ago we hooked up and talked on the phone. Every year Rick would come to Charleston for our legendary annual competition in the 5K run that was part of the Charleston distance run held annually around Labor Day. We would post trash-talking stories on the Aldersonian and later Face Book about who was the better runner.  For instance, Rick allegedly tied my shoelaces together before the race and I allegedly would give him the wrong directions for the racecourse. In more recent years we met up with Allan for a dinner around the time he moved to Charleston. 

Rick always worked when he was growing up and one summer when he was 13 or 14 he worked at Smith’s drug store on the Monroe side of Alderson. As background to this story, Allan was the first black ballplayer at Alderson High School and his sister Barbara was one of the first black students at Alderson High school in the mid 50s at the time that there was a mandated move from segregated schools to integrated schools. Times were different then. 

One day Allan walked by the Drug store and Rick went to get Allan a glass of water. The store owner said he could not give Allan a glass of water because he was black. Rick who needed the job protested very strongly. I never knew if Rick lost his job that day, (I think he may have) or whether Allan got the glass of water. I do know that Rick a 13 or 14-year-old kid knew right from wrong when that was not popular and when many adults did not know right from wrong. 

Rick was my longest greatest and most loyal friend. By American economic freedom and opportunity to make oneself better, by the grace of God and by Rick’s hard work and smarts Rick became a very successful businessman. As our friend Harold Spangler from Lewisburg said when we were discussing Rick’s passing. God Bless Rick Hughes and God Bless America.