John R. Hughes passed away on March 17,
2024, at the Arbors in Shelburne, Vt., at the age of 74. He was born
in Jackson, Miss., on June 7, 1949. He grew up with his parents,
Michael and Edith Hughes, and his two brothers, Giles and Paul. He
graduated from Millsaps College in 1971 and then earned his medical
degree from the University of Mississippi Medical School in 1975. He
completed residency in psychiatry there and at the University of
Pittsburgh and held an NIH postdoctoral fellowship at the University
of Minnesota, where he became an assistant professor.
It
was in Minnesota where John met and married his wife, Sally Kruse
Hughes. In 1985, John and Sally moved to Vermont, where he became a
professor at the University of Vermont. During his 35-year tenure at
UVM, he established an international reputation for his research on
nicotine and tobacco control, earning numerous awards for his
scholarly contributions. In 2005, the journal Tobacco
Control identified John as the
most-cited primary investigator in tobacco control research.
Throughout his career and beyond, he mentored psychology graduate
students and took great pride in their accomplishments. He
volunteered his expertise to numerous state and national health
organizations, served as president of the Association for the
Treatment of Tobacco Use and Dependence, was cofounder and president
of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, and was editor
of the journal Annals of
Behavioral Medicine. He was a
frequent presenter, a sought-after consultant and a valued colleague.
Throughout
his life, John enjoyed engagement with the natural world. He was an
avid hiker and bicyclist. He and Sally took advantage of his many
international speaking engagements to take an extra week to explore
the nearest mountain ranges. John and Sally could be found every
weekend and vacation day pursuing outdoor adventures, from
backpacking to white-water canoeing to cross-country skiing.
Some
of John’s greatest joys were derived from being a father to his two
daughters, Sara and Kelsey, and grandfather to his five
grandchildren. It was then that his goofy side came out, and he was
always making the kids laugh.
John
is survived by his wife, Sally; daughter Sara Poplack, her husband,
Aaron, and their two children, Lucy and Jake, of San Jose, Calif.;
daughter Kelsey Sheahan, her husband, Corey, and their three
children, Keegan, Lyle and Fiona, of South Burlington, Vt.; brother
Giles Hughes and his wife, Leslie; and brother Paul Hughes of
Albuquerque, N.M. A memorial gathering will be held this summer to
allow all family and loved ones to attend.
John’s
goal in life was to give back, and he contributed generously to
various charitable causes, with more to follow after death. In lieu
of flowers, the family asks that you please consider making a
contribution in his memory to a charity of your choosing.
This article appears in Mar 13-19, 2024.
I worked with John for 6 years at UVM and appreciated his mentorship and friendship. He is always my example of what an exemplary boss should be. The world is a better place because of John. My sincere condolences to John’s family and friends. We are all going to miss him. Beth Walsh
I have many fond memories of John when he visited our grandparents in Boise, ID. He was much loved and respected by his aunts and uncles and cousins. I admire the work he did to save the lives of people around the world through his research on addiction and the role of tobacco.. Bravo, John, on a life well lived.. Carol (Goodwin) Raabe
We are so sorry to hear of John’s passing. We so enjoyed getting to know him and his family when they came to Boise for a family reunion, and then visited a couple times after that. He was an incredible person and also very humble about it. Please let the Bane family know about the memorial this summer.