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Our beloved father, Joseph Tisdale Hughes, age 97, passed on to be with the Lord on Dec. 16, 2023, at his home on Gantt Lake in Andalusia. There will be a memorial held at Wise Mill Assembly of God Church, 223 Co. Road 224, in Elba, on Saturday, March 9, at 2 p.m.

Joe was born on April 19, 1926, in Brantley, Alabama to Jessie B. Tisdale Hughes and Wade Hampton Hughes. Brantley was home to the Hughes family that included Joe and his brother, Robert W Hughes, and sister, Mary Alice Hughes.

Joe married his loving wife of 73 years, Mary Wise Hughes, on March 19, 1944. His dedication to hard work and caring for his family was unquestioned. Joe served his country bravely and proudly when he enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II from August 4, 1944 until July 7, 1945. Joe was one of the many brave U.S. Army Infantry who fought in the Battle of the Bulge, the largest land battle in American history. Joe was injured in the war and returned home to recover. He then started a widely varied career and was well known for being a hardworking man. Joe was quite an entrepreneur; he worked hard and thought big, and never slowed, even in his elderly years. He owned restaurants and an auto parts store in Enterprise, among many other interests. Joe had a long career in transportation management starting with Jordan Trucking in Enterprise. He continued with Caton Transfer out of Andalusia and then with AAA Motor Lines before retiring from a successful 27-year career. Even in retirement he continued to stay busy with real-estate as evidenced by his vision and development of Gantt Lake RV Park. Joe played as hard as he worked. He and his wife Mary lived life to the fullest. They enjoyed fishing and hunting together. Where you saw Joe you would see Mary. They treasured their time in the North Carolina mountains where they owned a home and made many wonderful friendships. They enjoyed the beautiful mountain views, seeking out backroads waterfalls and crisp mountain air in the spring and summer. Before winter started, Joe and Mary would come back to their home on beautiful Gantt Lake. Joe loved gardening and after Mary’s passing, Joe took on a new appreciation for the flowers that Mary loved.

Joe is survived by seven children: Elaine Scofield, Janice Brooks, Jean Watson, Joseph Dwan Hughes, Marilyn Brooks, and Debrah Stuckey; 17 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; and eight great-great-grandchildren.