Vance Hughes

Vance Hughes, age 99, of N.C 226-South in Spruce Pine went to his celestial home on Sunday, July 15, 2018 at his home surrounded by his family after a long and happy life.Born on June 3, 1919 in Avery County, he was the son of the late Zeb and Minnie Hughes. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of forty years, Bernice; his son; Larry Hughes; his brothers; Herman, Arie, Vincent, Quince, and Edd; and his sisters; Jessie McGee, Nola Hughes, and Edith Hinkle.Vance is a lifelong resident of the Roaring Creek community in Avery County where he was born and raised. He lived most of adult life in Mitchell County. Vance was a veteran of World War II being drafted in 1941. He was stationed at Fort Bragg, NC, Fort Polk, LA, and then overseas in England and France. He served until 1945 as a tank commander and landed on Normandy on D-Day Plus 10 and later was a driver for the Red Ball Express. He was injured and was recuperating in an English hospital when France was liberated. After returning home to North Carolina, he married Bernice and worked in logging, in saw mills, and truck driving. He spent six months in Adrian, MI working in the car factories, but missed the mountains and returned to Spruce Pine never to leave again. After a while, he obtained a job at American Thread Company in Marion where he worked until his retirement in 1985. He was a devout Christian who read his Bible morning and night, every day and witnessed for Jesus to everyone he met. Vance will be sorely missed by his family and friends and all the people he didn’t know when he met them but knew them when he said goodbye.Left to cherish his memories are his wife; Kathleen McGee Hughes of the home; two sons; Roger Hughes and wife, Dawn of Sierra Vista, AZ and Jerry Hughes and wife, Sandi of Sumter, SC; his daughter-in-law Kim Kluth Hughes (Larry-deceased) three step-sons; Jerry McGee and wife, Debbie and Donnie McGee and wife, Lesa all of Spruce Pine; and Ted McGee and wife, Dinah of Rutherfordton; his step-daughter; Patty Burgin and husband, Buster of Marion; his grandchildren; Roger, Jr., Richard, Daniel, Kim Joiner, Amber, Byron, Aaron, Vance, Aubrey Bauer, Johnathan, Sarah, Daniel, Jr., and Gabriella; his step-grandchildren; Josh and Bret Hoge, Cindy Haynes, Matt McGee, Paul McGee, Steven McGee, Chucky McGee, Tina Schwaldbach, Brooke Peterson, Scott McGee, Josh McGee and Amy Ingram; numerous great grandchildren, great, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.The family respectfully requests the honor of your presence at the funeral service honoring the life of Vance Hughes on Thursday, July 19, 2018 at 4:30 pm in the Chapel of Webb Funeral Home with the Rev. Mike Rathbone officiating. A time to support the family, share memories and receive friends will be on Thursday, July 19, 2018 from 3:00 pm until 4:30 pm in the funeral home chapel. Interment will follow in the Liberty Hill Baptist Church Cemetery with Military Honors conducted by the Sgt. E.L. Randolph Chapter #57 D.A.V.Flowers will be accepted and appreciated or memorial donations may be made to; Hospice and Palliative Care of the Blue Ridge, 236 Hospital Drive, Spruce Pine, NC 28777.The family would like to extend a special ‘Thank You’ to the staff of Hospice and Palliative Care of the Blue Ridge for their wonderful care of Vance.Words of comfort may be e-mailed to the family by going to our website; www.webbfh.com., selecting Vance Hughes’ name and then you may sign his guestbook. Webb Funeral Home of Spruce Pine is honored to be assisting the Hughes family. Mr. Hughes’ obituary has also been posted on Facebook for viewing.Read Obituary