Obituary

 Henry Hughes,71, of Melrose, died of cancer April 27 and left a void in his friends’ lives. They admired him and said he was a "class guy" and a "real gentleman," He was all that and more. 

 Hughes grew up in Medford and played hockey and football and basketball and won a scholarship to Dartmouth and later graduated in 1947. He joined the Army during World War II and served with the infantry in northern France in 1944.  He was awarded the Silver Star for bravery when he rescued three soldiers in his battalion while under fire.

He later became a Melrose High history teacher and head hockey and baseball coach. Henry became a great coach during his 35 years as coach.  He won two state championships, the New England championship three times and 14 league championships. Henry was a very good hockey coach but rarely talked about that.   He won all kinds of honors, but most of all he won the admiration of everyone he knew, Henry W. Hughes was really something.  He could have retired six years earlier, but he wanted to stay for two reasons.  Henry liked teaching history, and, secondly, he liked the kids.  So, he stayed on and the kids sensed what the other teachers had known for years - he was a special man.  No one ever put the knock-on Henry.  Henry W. Hughes was a handsome guy who talked easily and laughed often.  He had a lovely wife, Irene, and a nice family with four grown-up kids. 

A huge crowd turned up outside the Gately funeral Home in Melrose to attend his wake.  The line moved slowly, but there still was time to whisper kind words to the Hughes family.  Family members had pinned the red, white and blue medal on the caskets fringe.  It was the Silver Star for bravery.  (Memorial contributions may be made to the Henry W. Hughes Memorial Scholarship Fund, Box 192, Melrose, MA 02176.