John B. Hughes

John Hughes, 82, of Sycamore, Illinois, passed away on January 25, 2025, at DeKalb County Rehab & Nursing Center.

He was born on June 7, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois, to John Ball Hughes and Amy (Barron) Hughes.

John married Susan "Susie" Johnson on October 21, 2000, in Sycamore, Illinois. She preceded him in death on December 28, 2024.

He is survived by four stepchildren who loved him as their own, Jeffrey (and Lynne) Johnson of Sycamore, Michael Johnson of Florida, Jennifer (and Terry) Towery of Peoria, Illinois, and Christopher Johnson of Sycamore; grandchildren, Kimberly Jenkins, Zeb (and Tanya) Johnson, Alexandra (and Kevin) Farlinger, Isabella Johnson, Blaine Towery, Zachary Towery, Brennan Towery, Erika Anderson, Melanie Johnson and Brian Johnson; and great-grandchildren, Silas, Sammy, Sariyah, Sage, Zoey, Arthur, Crash, Franklin and Zinnia.

John grew up on the northwest side of Chicago a block from the mainline railroad tracks. That sparked a lifelong love of trains and railroads. A chance encounter with a Chicago White Sox baseball player as a child turned him into a lifelong Sox fan.

While a student at Lane Tech High School in Chicago, John was among 12 students selected to learn the print trade. That led to a career in publishing that included roles for Playboy magazine, Encyclopedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster.

At age 30, John was asked to transfer to Springfield, Massachusetts, as a manufacturing manager for Merriam-Webster. He lived in Suffield, Connecticut, and enjoyed golfing at Suffield Country Club. He retired from Merriam-Webster in 1999.

After marrying, John and Susie traveled extensively, enjoying several cross-country trips by train in the United States and Canada.

John was forever grateful to Susie's children for accepting and loving him, even though he was a proud White Sox fan marrying into a Cubs family.

He was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in DeKalb, where he served as an elder. He also was the first permanent member of the Facilities Board, serving in that post for eight years.

He volunteered at Illinois Railway Museum.

Cremation was accorded by Butala Funeral Home.

A memorial service to celebrate both John and Susie will be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, February 22, at Westminster Presbyterian Church in DeKalb. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m.

Memorials may be made to Westminster Presbyterian Church in DeKalb or Illinois Railway Museum in Union.

To sign the online guest book, go to www.ButalaFuneralHomes.com