John David Hughes, 89, passed away peacefully in Charlottesville, Virginia to be with God on September 13, 2024, following a long illness. David was a native Texan, born in Petersburg on April 24, 1935, the only child of the late John A. Hughes and the late Pauline G. Hughes. The family later moved to Lubbock, Texas where they became longtime residents.

David attended Lubbock High School with the late Buddy Holly, and graduated in 1953. During High School David became interested in the military, and was a member of ROTC. Following graduation, David pursued officer training at Kemper Military School from 1953-1954. David then attended the University of Texas at Austin where he earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1958, and was a member of the academic fraternity Phi Beta Kappa. David became interested in law and went on to earn his law degree from American University in Washington, DC in 1961, and was a member of the legal fraternity Delta Theta Phi.

David then entered the U.S. Army on active duty from 1961-1963. David achieved the rank of Captain while serving as the Detachment Commander and Legal Officer of the 428th Medical Battalion at Fort Benning, Georgia. It was during his military service where he met his first wife, the late Karin Lofgren Hughes of Malmo, Sweden at a military ball in Copenhagen, Denmark. They were married in Malmo in 1965 and later raised two sons, John Erik Hughes and Stefan David Hughes, to whom they were deeply devoted and loved dearly.

Following David’s military service, he returned to Lubbock to practice law and was admitted to the Texas Supreme Court Bar and the U.S. Court of Appeals Bar in 1964. David served briefly as Assistant County Attorney in Lubbock in 1964, and later that year became an attorney with the law firm of Evans, Pharr, Trout and Jones in Lubbock until 1974. That year, David was appointed Assistant Attorney General for the State of Texas, and the family moved from Lubbock to Austin, Texas. David served as Assistant Attorney General of Texas with distinction, becoming the Chief of the Transportation and Public Utilities Division and later the Chief of the Energy Division. In 1980, David was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to be a Commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, DC. The family moved from Austin, Texas to Alexandria, Virginia at that time. He was sworn into office by President Carter at the White House in the presence of his colleagues and proud family members on August 27, 1980. He served with honor as Commissioner until his commission expired on October 20, 1983. During his tenure as Commissioner, he became an expert in oil and gas pipeline litigation, and later served as an expert witness and attorney in many large oil and gas cases. The family continued to live in Alexandria, Virginia for many years. Later in his career, he became a noted Immigration Attorney in his own firm, Hughes Immigration Law in Washington, DC. David practiced law until his retirement at the age of 83.

David was not only an accomplished attorney and public servant, but most of all was a beloved father, husband, partner, friend and family member. David truly loved people and was always a man for others. David is survived by his eldest son, John Erik Hughes of Charlottesville, Virginia, his second eldest son, Stefan David Hughes of Martinsburg, West Virginia, and his grandson Shephard Frost Hughes of Charlottesville, Virginia. David is also survived by his partner of 24 years, Estelle DeMaio of Chevy Chase, Maryland, her daughter, Barbara Markwood of Chevy Chase and her granddaughter Lindsay Markwood and her children. David is also survived by numerous relatives in Texas, the Jennings family from Muleshoe and the Claitor family from College Station.

For more on services and to share your condolences, visit Hill and Wood Funeral Service.