My father died at age 71 this summer before he could cast his first vote for an American president.
John Hughes grew up outside Toronto, a working class Canuck who got himself to Cornell University on a full scholarship because of his academic and athletic prowess. He spent 8 years in Ithaca, racking up a BS, an MBA, a JD and an NCAA hockey championship, holding down jobs at each stage of his education. The US was his land of opportunity.
From Ithaca he went to New York City, where long hours, a keen intellect, happy charm and smiling eyes made him a sought-after tax attorney. He learned to specialize in real estate contracts, moving among the power players in the biggest real estate markets in the world. He was not unknown to the Trump organization – his verdict on “that guy” was unspoken.
Many decades as a proud Canadian living in the US slowly built a sense of duty to his adopted home. He had raised six kids, run his own law office and become a leader in his community in the Long Island suburb of Great Neck and beyond, in particular in the figure skating and hockey worlds, but one thing was missing. Forty-five years after passing the bar exam, and becoming one of the first non-citizens to be admitted to the New York bar, my dad started studying basic constitutional history to take a citizenship test. I was confused, as he had resisted citizenship all this time, always happily identifying as a Canadian. Something had changed, though, and it was not a defect in his beloved homeland to the north.
My dad was excited about the prospect of the citizenship test. Trivia about the American revolution became a lively dinner game with my kids as he prepped for his big day. He loved the process and went about his work with the purest of patriotism, applying diligence as he did with all things, but he was also motivated by something more urgent.
This was 2018. By then, my father had seen the devastation possible when someone exponentially unfit made it to the highest office of the land. For him, becoming a citizen was an act of love and an act of heroism. As an immigrant, he knew he needed to help save it, not to mention eliminate any doubts about his own long-held green card.
He cast his first vote in a US election that fall, an election that saw an historic cry for decency and competence over cruelty and buffoonery. The America he’d always known hadn’t changed and he was happy to have joined it in full.
The cancer – a rare form in his bile duct – was at bay right then after successful surgery two years before. It was a happy day on many levels. But some victories need to be refought.
My dad, who cherished his native Canada, built his life as a love letter to America and he wanted to help save it. He understood the value of work, kindness, and honesty because those values had brought him everything this country has to offer. He understood what a threat these last few years have been to everything that’s great about America, but that true greatness doesn’t go away, no matter how loudly some people say it does.
When John Hughes died on August 18, 2020, he did not have regrets – he had a “fantastic life” with his “perfect wife and six perfect children” he said – but there was one thing he did not get to do: cast his vote for Joe Biden. I had that in mind when I filled out my own ballot.
Thank you for sharing this with us.
John was always kind and supportive to me as an Adult Figure Skater.
He made his contribution to make the United States a better place.
John Hughes was always a man to look up too. I always admired how he loved and interacted with his family. My daughter Sage trained along side of Sara and Emily and we spent many wonderful years in the company of the Hughes family. It doesnt surprise me at all that John would be supporting the candidate Joe Biden. John’s own values would never except a candidate for the highest office in the country he loved that did not have integrity and respect for all people. I never got to tell your family and yourself how sad Sage and I are about John’s passing. Please except our sincere condolences. Love to you all…..
Wonderful tribute! I love the “happy charm” description. 💕💕
I am very sorry to hear about the passing of John. I work with John for many years with the ASTA Trust a travel agent group.
He was one of the nicest, smartest individual I have ever been associated. I remember how proud he was of his family. When I had meetings at his office I usually got to watch movies of his children. I still remember a very young Sarah skating and pushing a wooden horse on the ice. I never imagined this would lead to Olympic gold. Also, I attended a Michigan State University hockey game and had the opportunity to see his son on the Cornell’s team and his excellence as a hockey player.
I just read about his passing but I want to let the family know that his loss is felt by those that you never heard of but had the pleasure of calling him a friend.