LaVonne Hughes, a long time resident of Davis, CA, passed away on May 5, 2014 at age 82.

LaVonne was born on February 8, 1932, in Ashton, Iowa. As a young child, she moved with her parents, Dale and Louise Alldredge, to Napa, CA. Her brother and sister, Mike and Kathie Alldredge, were born in Napa. LaVonne graduated from Napa High School in 1949 and was the first in her family to attend college, starting at Napa Junior College and graduating from UC Berkeley in 1953 with a degree in child development.

In 1953, LaVonne married Richard Frost of Napa. They had two children, Cherie and Bill, and in 1960 the family moved to Davis. LaVonne worked as a school secretary for West Davis and Birch Lane Elementary Schools, Holmes Junior High School, and Davis Senior High School during her 20-year career with the Davis Unified School District. She was an active member of the Davis Tennis Club, a local bridge group, the Circle D Horsemen's Association and the Backcountry Horsemen of California.

In 1968, LaVonne married Dr. John P. Hughes, a professor of equine veterinary medicine at UC Davis. John brought two daughters, Linda and Janet Hughes, to the family. For almost 30 years together, LaVonne and John raised working Quarter Horses; rode horses in Davis and in the foothills and Sierras of Madera County; and traveled extensively attending veterinary conferences and making life-long friends with equine veterinarians around the world. LaVonne and John actively supported all four children's horse and sports activities, and later in life, thoroughly enjoyed attending their grandchildren's similar activities. They were both avid UC Davis Aggie football and basketball fans holding season tickets for many decades.

In 1981, John and LaVonne purchased a cattle ranch in Madera County and spent as much time as possible during the next 17 years enjoying their horses and cattle on the ranch with their extended family including the McDougalds of O'Neals. Following John's death in 1998, LaVonne continued the ranching operation with her children and grandchildren. She was very fond of her many dogs, horses, and cows over the years and took great pride in carefully selecting special names for each of them.

LaVonne's passions were her varied activities with her extended family and her many friends. She loved to travel and to arrange visits with family members and friends. She cherished her role as grandmother and took great delight in spending as much time as possible with her beloved grandchildren. She was very proud of her family. LaVonne will be remembered fondly by all who knew her for her positive outlook, fun sense of humor, and genuine care for others.

Lavonne was preceded in death by her husband, John, and her stepdaughter, Janet Hughes Ellis. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Cherie and Ned McDougald of O'Neals; son and daughter-in-law, Bill and Claire Frost of Placerville; and stepdaughter and son-in-law, Linda Hughes and Wasyl Malyj of Davis. She has four beloved grandchildren, Bobby Frost of Monterey, James Frost of San Luis Obispo, Katie McDougald of O'Neals, and Will Ellis of North Fork.

A graveside memorial service will be held on May 19 at 2 p.m. at the North Fork Cemetery in North Fork, Madera County. Graveside Service: Monday, May 19, 2014 2:00pm, North Fork District Cemetery, North Fork, CA.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the donor's charity of choice.

Source: Jay Chapel Obituary