Howard Hughes

Howard Lloyd “Bud” Hughes passed away at home surrounded by his family and friends on Tuesday, July 26, 2022. “Bud” or “Buddy” as those who knew and loved him was preceded in death by his father Howard Lloyd “Shorty” Hughes, his mother Eunice Erlandsen, his stepfather Noel Kay and his brother Orv Chapman. He is survived by his siblings: Gary Hughes, Marge Nelson, Judy Crawshaw, Sharon Tallon, and Johnny Irv Page. He is also survived by his children: Tom Rhoads, Diana Carroll, Mike Hughes, Shawn Hughes, and Ben Hughes. He will be missed by his 15 grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren, and 6 great-great grandchildren. Bud was born in Bozeman, MT on June 5, 1942. He completed his elementary and high school years in Bozeman and was a runner-up for the state championship in wrestling his freshman year of high school. After graduation, Bud joined the Navy and completed training as an air traffic controller. Once he was discharged from the Navy he worked for a short time as an air traffic controller in Seattle, WA but felt the pull of his home state and returned to Montana. A self-proclaimed ‘Rockhound’, he cultivated an intense love for all things Geology. He loved to dig for crystals whenever he could, spending countless days and hours in the near-by Crystal Park with his sons, grandkids, or anyone he could convince to spend a day in a hole with him. He also loved to prospect for gold when he could – making seven trips to Australia to look for the elusive nuggets. He even staked his own claim – ‘The More the Merrier’ on Moose Creek Pass. He loved an adventure and he loved life! His love for rocks led him to a career in masonry – a talent that he was able to share with his sons, completing some impressive projects in and around southwest Montana. He was always tinkering with his diamond saw and loved to hand out the stone crosses and hearts he created, especially to the people he loved most. He was so generous with his kindness and love – never shying away from letting you know just how much you meant to him. Bud will be the first to admit he lived a hard life in his younger years, getting sober close to 30 years ago. His wild and sometimes shocking stories were always punctuated with his infectious giggle and laugh. His little trailer house walls were covered with hundreds of photos of his family and friends. He was so proud of everyone’s accomplishments and would gladly share stories of his family with anyone he met. The cozy kitchen table was where thousands of Yahtzee games were played – with high score cards pinned up with honor and pride. The walls of the little house could barely contain the laughter and rowdiness of all the Hughes family and their friends. Anyone who knew Bud, knew how much he loved to play his harmonica. From playing gigs with his band - Fully Cooked, playing at his beloved Cowboy Church or his daily Facebook posts – he was constantly spreading joy and his love of God through his music. He touched so many lives with his honesty and love of life. Bud was considered family to so many people and was a friend to even more. Our hearts are hurting with the loss of this great man, but our hearts are full because we’ve all had the privilege of loving him and being loved by him. He is joining the “members” of the Boar’s Nest – Billy, Kevin, Boyd, Dan, Leo, Dean, Pongo, Duke and Howdy. We will miss him forever, but we know how lucky we were to share our lives with him. He is happy is breathing easy, and he is finally at home with his Lord and Savior – where he ultimately wanted to be.