Albert C. (“Doc”) Hughes, age 77, died early Wednesday, April 11, 2018 at NHC Healthcare, Pulaski, Tennessee. He was born February 28, 1941 in Birmingham, Alabama. He graduated from Fairfield High School and obtained a BM degree in music history and an AB degree in English from Birmingham-Southern College; MM degrees in musicology and voice from the University of Illinois; and a DMA degree in vocal performance from West Virginia University. He also did postdoctoral study in choral conducting at Florida State University.
Albert returned to Birmingham-Southern College in 1968, where he taught music until 1981. He then became an instructor of music at the Baylor School in Chattanooga for three years. He moved to Pulaski in 1987 to become an Associate Professor of Music at Martin Methodist College and was later promoted to Professor. At the time of his retirement in 2013, he was named Professor Emeritus.
Albert has sung as a soloist with many church choirs throughout his life, including St. Mary’s on the Highlands Episcopal Church and First United Methodist Church in Birmingham; Wesley Methodist in Urbana, Illinois; and St. John’s Episcopal Church in Tallahassee. Upon moving to Pulaski, he assumed the position of choir director at First Presbyterian Church, where he served until the end of 2012. He also was ordained as elder in the First Presbyterian Church.
He is survived by his wife, Charlotte Evans Hughes and by cousins George (Fay) Taylor of Signal Mountain; Bill (Janice) Taylor of Oxford, Mississippi; Mabel Ubiñas of San Juan Puerto Rico; and Bill (Jerre) Horton on Hertford, North Carolina. He was preceded in death by parents Albert C. Hughes Sr. and Mabel Taylor Hughes; and grandparents M.C. and Letha Hughes and Edmund P. and Katherine Taylor.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 14, at 11:00 AM at First Presbyterian Church, 202 South 2nd Street, Pulaski; Visitation with the family will be at the church on Friday, April 13, from 4:00-6:00 PM and on Saturday from 9:00-11:00 AM prior to the memorial service.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Martin Methodist College music program (433 West College Street, Pulaski TN 38478) or First Presbyterian Church (P.O. Box 174, Pulaski, TN 38478).
