Charles Oliver Hughes, the son of the late Ola Mae Hughes and Ulysses Charles Hughes, was born on November 18, 1921, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was born at home, because earlier that year, Tulsa's segregated Black hospital was destroyed, along with many other Black institutions and businesses, during the Tulsa Race War.
Charles and Kenneth, his younger brother, were elementary school age when their parents divorced, and the boys moved with their mother and her sister, Beatrice, to Detroit, Michigan. Kenneth died soon after. And, when Charles was ready to attend high school, his mother felt that he would benefit from the military boarding program offered at Tuskegee High School, which was part of Tuskegee Institute, in Alabama. It was in Tuskegee that he met Edith Olivia Washington, who he would later marry. She was the granddaughter of Booker T. Washington.
Following high school, Charles joined the Army. During World War II, he served in the all African American, 184th Field Artillery Battalion in the Pacific. Upon his discharge, with the rank of Staff Sargent, he attended West Virginia State College for a year. The following year, he and Edith Washington married in Augusta, Georgia, and they moved to Flint, Michigan. They had two sons, Ernest Davidson and Eric Kenneth. Charles and Edith divorced in 1953.
In Flint, Charles worked in the entertainment business, managing the Golden Leaf Night Club. He later worked in housing development and as a mortgage officer for the Detroit Teachers Credit Union. Prior to retiring in 2009, Charles was self-employed as a real estate appraiser. Charles remarried in 1982, to Marjorie Lenora Robinson. They resided in Detroit and later in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, until Marjorie's death in 2009. Soon after, Charles moved to Denver to be closer to his sons and their families.
Until the Covid Virus changed things, Charles attended Holy Redeemer Episcopal Church in East Denver. He enjoyed dining out, reading and music, particularly Jazz, and would often attend concerts and performances at various venues and festivals in Denver and in the mountains.
Following a stroke on December 13th, at the age of 101, Charles passed away, peacefully, on December 15, 2022. He is survived by his sons, Ernest Hughes and Eric (Nhi) Hughes, both of Denver, Colorado; his granddaughter, Mylinh (Benjamin) Hamlington, of Altadena, California; great granddaughters, Beatrix Hamlington and Imogen Hamlington, also of Altadena, California; his very dear friend, Gloria Torres-Jones; and numerous nieces and nephews and good friends throughout the country.
Charles and Kenneth, his younger brother, were elementary school age when their parents divorced, and the boys moved with their mother and her sister, Beatrice, to Detroit, Michigan. Kenneth died soon after. And, when Charles was ready to attend high school, his mother felt that he would benefit from the military boarding program offered at Tuskegee High School, which was part of Tuskegee Institute, in Alabama. It was in Tuskegee that he met Edith Olivia Washington, who he would later marry. She was the granddaughter of Booker T. Washington.
Following high school, Charles joined the Army. During World War II, he served in the all African American, 184th Field Artillery Battalion in the Pacific. Upon his discharge, with the rank of Staff Sargent, he attended West Virginia State College for a year. The following year, he and Edith Washington married in Augusta, Georgia, and they moved to Flint, Michigan. They had two sons, Ernest Davidson and Eric Kenneth. Charles and Edith divorced in 1953.
In Flint, Charles worked in the entertainment business, managing the Golden Leaf Night Club. He later worked in housing development and as a mortgage officer for the Detroit Teachers Credit Union. Prior to retiring in 2009, Charles was self-employed as a real estate appraiser. Charles remarried in 1982, to Marjorie Lenora Robinson. They resided in Detroit and later in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, until Marjorie's death in 2009. Soon after, Charles moved to Denver to be closer to his sons and their families.
Until the Covid Virus changed things, Charles attended Holy Redeemer Episcopal Church in East Denver. He enjoyed dining out, reading and music, particularly Jazz, and would often attend concerts and performances at various venues and festivals in Denver and in the mountains.
Following a stroke on December 13th, at the age of 101, Charles passed away, peacefully, on December 15, 2022. He is survived by his sons, Ernest Hughes and Eric (Nhi) Hughes, both of Denver, Colorado; his granddaughter, Mylinh (Benjamin) Hamlington, of Altadena, California; great granddaughters, Beatrix Hamlington and Imogen Hamlington, also of Altadena, California; his very dear friend, Gloria Torres-Jones; and numerous nieces and nephews and good friends throughout the country.
Charles Oliver Hughes, the son of the late Ola Mae Hughes and Ulysses Charles Hughes, was born on November 18, 1921, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was born at home, because earlier that year, Tulsa's segregated Black hospital was destroyed, along with many other Black institutions and businesses, during the Tulsa Race War.
Charles and Kenneth, his younger brother, were elementary school age when their parents divorced, and the boys moved with their mother and her sister, Beatrice, to Detroit, Michigan. Kenneth died soon after. And, when Charles was ready to attend high school, his mother felt that he would benefit from the military boarding program offered at Tuskegee High School, which was part of Tuskegee Institute, in Alabama. It was in Tuskegee that he met Edith Olivia Washington, who he would later marry. She was the granddaughter of Booker T. Washington.
Following high school, Charles joined the Army. During World War II, he served in the all African American, 184th Field Artillery Battalion in the Pacific. Upon his discharge, with the rank of Staff Sargent, he attended West Virginia State College for a year. The following year, he and Edith Washington married in Augusta, Georgia, and they moved to Flint, Michigan. They had two sons, Ernest Davidson and Eric Kenneth. Charles and Edith divorced in 1953.
In Flint, Charles worked in the entertainment business, managing the Golden Leaf Night Club. He later worked in housing development and as a mortgage officer for the Detroit Teachers Credit Union. Prior to retiring in 2009, Charles was self-employed as a real estate appraiser. Charles remarried in 1982, to Marjorie Lenora Robinson. They resided in Detroit and later in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, until Marjorie's death in 2009. Soon after, Charles moved to Denver to be closer to his sons and their families.
Until the Covid Virus changed things, Charles attended Holy Redeemer Episcopal Church in East Denver. He enjoyed dining out, reading and music, particularly Jazz, and would often attend concerts and performances at various venues and festivals in Denver and in the mountains.
Following a stroke on December 13th, at the age of 101, Charles passed away, peacefully, on December 15, 2022. He is survived by his sons, Ernest Hughes and Eric (Nhi) Hughes, both of Denver, Colorado; his granddaughter, Mylinh (Benjamin) Hamlington, of Altadena, California; great granddaughters, Beatrix Hamlington and Imogen Hamlington, also of Altadena, California; his very dear friend, Gloria Torres-Jones; and numerous nieces and nephews and good friends throughout the country.
Charles and Kenneth, his younger brother, were elementary school age when their parents divorced, and the boys moved with their mother and her sister, Beatrice, to Detroit, Michigan. Kenneth died soon after. And, when Charles was ready to attend high school, his mother felt that he would benefit from the military boarding program offered at Tuskegee High School, which was part of Tuskegee Institute, in Alabama. It was in Tuskegee that he met Edith Olivia Washington, who he would later marry. She was the granddaughter of Booker T. Washington.
Following high school, Charles joined the Army. During World War II, he served in the all African American, 184th Field Artillery Battalion in the Pacific. Upon his discharge, with the rank of Staff Sargent, he attended West Virginia State College for a year. The following year, he and Edith Washington married in Augusta, Georgia, and they moved to Flint, Michigan. They had two sons, Ernest Davidson and Eric Kenneth. Charles and Edith divorced in 1953.
In Flint, Charles worked in the entertainment business, managing the Golden Leaf Night Club. He later worked in housing development and as a mortgage officer for the Detroit Teachers Credit Union. Prior to retiring in 2009, Charles was self-employed as a real estate appraiser. Charles remarried in 1982, to Marjorie Lenora Robinson. They resided in Detroit and later in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, until Marjorie's death in 2009. Soon after, Charles moved to Denver to be closer to his sons and their families.
Until the Covid Virus changed things, Charles attended Holy Redeemer Episcopal Church in East Denver. He enjoyed dining out, reading and music, particularly Jazz, and would often attend concerts and performances at various venues and festivals in Denver and in the mountains.
Following a stroke on December 13th, at the age of 101, Charles passed away, peacefully, on December 15, 2022. He is survived by his sons, Ernest Hughes and Eric (Nhi) Hughes, both of Denver, Colorado; his granddaughter, Mylinh (Benjamin) Hamlington, of Altadena, California; great granddaughters, Beatrix Hamlington and Imogen Hamlington, also of Altadena, California; his very dear friend, Gloria Torres-Jones; and numerous nieces and nephews and good friends throughout the country.
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