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Robert Harrison Hughes / 1917-2008

Sugar industry leader had long public service career

By Gary Kubota

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Oct 14, 2008

Robert Harrison Hughes, who worked his way from a shift sugar boiler to president of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association, died Oct. 2 at his residence in Honolulu. Robert Harrison Hughes

Hughes, whose early career occurred in an era when sugar cultivation was the main commercial industry in the Hawaiian Islands, was 91.

Hughes also had a distinguished career in public service, serving as chairman of the University of Hawaii Board of Regents as well as Hawaii Loa College, a trustee of the Hawaiian Historical Society, and chairman of the Friends of Lahaina Restoration.

In 1991 the American Association for State and Local History awarded him a commendation for his work in preserving historical records of Hawaii's sugar industry.

"He was very public spirited person," recalled Philip Helfrich, a brother-in-law and retired director of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology.

Hughes was born in Puunene, Maui, where his father worked as an engineer at Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co.

Hughes attended Maui Standard School, Maui High School and graduated with a bachelor's in science from the University of Hawaii in 1938.

He started work as a shift sugar boiler in 1939 at Hawaiian Commercial and later served as a superviso0r in various capacities, before joining C. Brewer & Co. in Honolulu as a vice president, eventually rising to serve as executive vice president and a board director.

Hughes served as chairman of various C. Brewer subsidiaries, including Kau Sugar and Wailuku Sugar Co., both from 1973-1980.

He is survived by wife Judith Dean Gething Hughes; son Robert; daughters Linton Breen and Carol Trefts; stepchildren Katherine Sabini and Elizabeth Gething; brothers Donald and Richard; sisters Barbara Cannon, Maybelle Helfrich and Nevis deLaveaga; and former wife Nadine.

Visitation will take place Monday from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Community Church of Honolulu, 2345 Nuuanu Ave., followed by a memorial service at 5 p.m.

On Maui, visitation is at 10 a.m. Oct. 22 at Kahului Union Church, followed by a memorial service at 11 a.m. Casual attire is requested, with no flowers.

Robert Harrison Hughes, who worked his way from a shift sugar boiler to president of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association, died Oct. 2 at his residence in Honolulu. Robert Harrison Hughes

Hughes, whose early career occurred in an era when sugar cultivation was the main commercial industry in the Hawaiian Islands, was 91.

Hughes also had a distinguished career in public service, serving as chairman of the University of Hawaii Board of Regents as well as Hawaii Loa College, a trustee of the Hawaiian Historical Society, and chairman of the Friends of Lahaina Restoration.

In 1991 the American Association for State and Local History awarded him a commendation for his work in preserving historical records of Hawaii's sugar industry.

"He was very public spirited person," recalled Philip Helfrich, a brother-in-law and retired director of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology.

Hughes was born in Puunene, Maui, where his father worked as an engineer at Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co.

Hughes attended Maui Standard School, Maui High School and graduated with a bachelor's in science from the University of Hawaii in 1938.

He started work as a shift sugar boiler in 1939 at Hawaiian Commercial and later served as a superviso0r in various capacities, before joining C. Brewer & Co. in Honolulu as a vice president, eventually rising to serve as executive vice president and a board director.

Hughes served as chairman of various C. Brewer subsidiaries, including Kau Sugar and Wailuku Sugar Co., both from 1973-1980.

He is survived by wife Judith Dean Gething Hughes; son Robert; daughters Linton Breen and Carol Trefts; stepchildren Katherine Sabini and Elizabeth Gething; brothers Donald and Richard; sisters Barbara Cannon, Maybelle Helfrich and Nevis deLaveaga; and former wife Nadine.

Visitation will take place Monday from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Community Church of Honolulu, 2345 Nuuanu Ave., followed by a memorial service at 5 p.m.

On Maui, visitation is at 10 a.m. Oct. 22 at Kahului Union Church, followed by a memorial service at 11 a.m. Casual attire is requested, with no flowers.


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