Ralph "Sonny" Hughes, long-time leader of Hassell & Hughes Lumber Company Inc. (Collinwood, Tenn.), passed away Thursday, Oct. 18. He was 82.
Hughes' son Bob Haggard said Sonny went to work at Hassell and Hughes in 1954 and "never worked anywhere else" during his life. Before going to work in the family business, Hughes earned a Bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee and served for three years in U.S. Air Force during the Korean War.
Hughes took on a leadership role at Hassell & Hughes in 1975 and in 1996 became the company's president, a role he served until his death. "During his tenure, the business went from a basic building products business to sawmill, drying, flooring, furniture and cabinet dimension products, employing more than 250 people at peak times," said Haggard, who began working at the company in 1987. Hughes was active in his local business community, serving on the boards of directors at lending institutions and a development corporation.
"Our company is hurting today and will for days and weeks and months to come," Haggard said. "Though you may not have known Sonny directly, his philosophy of honesty and fairness for all concerned has been the company standard under his leadership. Each one of us are better people because we had the time to be with him."
Memorials in Hughes' memory have been established with the Waynesboro church of Christ Benevolence Fund, Butterfly Foundation, American Cancer Society and American Heart Association.
