Michael Charles Hughes was born to Charles Hughes and Mary McCoy Hughes on October 18, 1949. He was the youngest of 5 children. He was an extremely imaginative child who was always on an adventure. He was always proud of his Irish Catholic heritage. He was above all Irish. He held fond memories of his childhood visits to his Grandparents farm in Kansas. They were some of his happiest memories. They were the Irish McCoys that he loved so dearly.

As a young boy his mother decided that he should learn to swim so she threw him in the pool at the YMCA. It was the beginning of a lifelong love of swimming. As a teenager he was a champion swimmer on his school’s swim team. And as a young enlisted man he was a champion on the United States Army Swim Team as well. His love of swimming and water lasted through out his entire life.

At the age of 17 he enlisted in the Army. The Army became his life for the next eight or so years. He served his country proudly and faithfully for these years. He served three tours in Vietnam. This service had a lasting effect on his life. He became a MP and later after receiving security clearance traveled for the Army. He told stories of the adventures he had all over the world as well as the beauty that he had seen. He never lost his desire for the next adventure. He was honorably discharged in the late 1970s.

In the early 1980s he met his future wife during a visit with his mother. They became instant friends. Linda was a young single mother of two small boys. Michael never had biological children. But he became the father to Chris Holder and Jeff Holder. He was the father in their lives that they wished for. There was never a time that he was not there for the three of them. He poured the love and care into their lives that he had not had in his own. As time passed friendship became love and his best friend became his wife. And his Son Chris gave him an amazing gift. His Grandson, Eric was born in 2002. When first he held him he wept with joy.
The love and joy he felt for his Grandchild never changed. The love and pride he felt for his two Sons never changed up the time he left on his greatest final adventure on August 18, 2019.

Michael Charles Hughes is survived by his wife, Linda, his Son Chris Holder, his Son, Jeff Holder, his beloved Grandson, Eric Holder, and his beloved Mother-in-Law Polly Heath. He was loved as he loved deeply. He has left a gap that cannot be filled. We will love him always and forever as he loved us. He was truly a blessing to us all. Our memories of him will always be with us.