Obituary of Janet Hughes

Janet Toshie Hughes, age 70 of Arriba, Colorado and formerly of Honomu, Hawaii passed away Monday December 26, 2011 at her home in Arriba, Colorado. She was born January 4, 1941 in Hilo, Hawaii the daughter of Yoneichi and Yaeko (Yamaoka) Masaki. Janet attended two schools in Hilo, Hawaii. She would attend public school during the day where she learned English and attended Japanese School during the evenings to learn Japanese. Janet graduated from Hilo High School in 1959. On November 24, 1962, Janet was united in marriage to Ora Claude Hughes in a small church in Honolulu, Hawaii while Ora was serving in the United States Navy. They shared over forty-nine years of marriage. To this union they shared three children, Shawn, Keith and Tracy. Janet was an administrative clerk for DJ’s Petroleum serving five years. Her love and care for children led her and Ora to taking a care of many children in the community which they very much enjoyed. She also enjoyed teaching line dancing, spending time at the Senior Center, and helped Ora manage the American legion for about four years in Flagler. In her free time, Janet loved putting jigsaw puzzles together and was known for putting together a thousand piece puzzles together in one day. She also enjoyed playing cards at the American Legion with her husband, Ora and bingo whereever she could play. Janet was always nurturing and caring for her family and friends. She will be greatly missed be her many friends, family and the small communities of Arriba and Flagler that she was always very found of and at peace with. She loved how everybody was very closely bonded in these communities and the love and support they always had for one another. It was the sole reason that she and Ora would always stay in Colorado and not move back to Hawaii. Janet’s love and spirit will live on in the daily lives of everybody she touched forever… Janet is survived by her loving husband Ora Claude of Arriba, Colorado; two sons, Shawn Hughes (Doreen) of Oceanview, Hawaii and Keith Hughes (Nadine) of Hilo, Hawaii; one daughter, Tracy Rodrigues (Greg) of Hilo, Hawaii; two brothers, Richard Masaki (Fay) of Kaneohe, Hawaii and Kenneth Masaki (Nani) of Keaau, Hawaii; two sisters, Jane Simer of Kansas City, Missouri and Margaret Woodford (Gene) of Honomu, Hawaii; twelve grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. Mrs. Hughes was preceded in death by her parents; one brother, Stanley Masaki, and one sister Doris Warden.