Daniel Joseph “Dan” Hughes, age 81, longtime Shelby resident and currently of Lexington, passed away following a brief illness on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, surrounded by his loving family.
Dan was born July 2, 1944, in Buffalo, New York, the son of the late James L. “Jim” and Nora Elizabeth “Betty” (Pease) Hughes. His family later moved to Shelby, where Dan was raised and graduated from Shelby High School in 1962. He continued his education at Ashland College, earning a bachelor’s degree in business.
A proud veteran of the United States Army, Dan served his country during the Vietnam War and was the humble recipient of a Purple Heart.
For 37 years, Dan was employed by the former Ohio Seamless Tube Company—affectionately known as “The Tuby”—in Shelby, where he worked in inside sales, a job he truly loved. He retired in 2009 under ArcelorMittal ownership.
Above all else, Dan’s greatest interest and joy in life was his family. He married the love of his life, Emily Montgomery Hughes, on May 31, 1980, and the two were truly inseparable—“joined at the hip,” as many would say. Dan was selfless, kind, gentle, and extremely easygoing, always placing others before himself. He possessed a quirky sense of humor (corny dad jokes to most), which brought smiles to all who knew him.
Dan had a special love for children and cherished time spent with his grandchildren. He enjoyed bowling and golfing and was blessed with countless friendships throughout his life. Although he and Emily later moved to Lexington, Dan never stopped considering Shelby his home, often telling his grandchildren that he would always be a Whippet.
In addition to his loving and devoted wife, Emily, Dan is survived by his sons: Josh (Trisha) Hughes of Lexington and Tom (Laura) Hughes of Woodburn, IN; grandchildren: Madilyn, Griffin, Carliann, Hayden, and Claire; siblings: James Hughes, Mary (Greg) Dodge, Ellen Kirkpatrick, and Rose Hughes; in-laws: Duke (Cindy) Montgomery, Silas (Cathy) Montgomery, Chuck (Sherri) Montgomery, Lou (Casey) Bennett, and John Bryson; and nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends too numerous to count. In addition to his parents, Dan was preceded in death by his sister: Linda (Richard) Caulfield; mother-in-law: Nettie Montgomery; and in-laws: Inez (Bill) Armstrong, Janice Bryson, Bill (Aree) Montgomery, Jean Ann Hughes, and Mike Kirkpatrick.
Family and friends are welcome on Sunday, January 4, 2026 from 2-5 pm at the Penwell Funeral Home, 168 West Main Street, Shelby. Funeral services will be on Monday, January 5, 2026 at 1 pm at the First Lutheran Church, 33 Broadway Street, Shelby, Ohio 44875 with Rev. Dr. Russel Yoak officiating. Military honors will be held at the conclusion of the service by the Richland County Joint Veterans Burial Detail. Burial will follow in Oakland Cemetery, Shelby.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (stjude.org/donate) or to the Wounded Warrior Project (support.woundedwarriorproject.org).
Condolences may be left on the funeral home’s website at PenwellFuneralHome.com or on its Facebook page.
Emily and Family!!
Bill and I are so sad to see this! What a kind heart, he had!!
Please accept our heartfelt condolences!!
Praying you will find peace and comfort in your memories.
Holding you close at heart,
Susie and Bill
Our hearts are so heavy with the loss of our brother-in-law Dan Hughes. He lit up a room with his smile and what his sense of humor he will be truly missed by all he has such a loving family, and we are proud to call him more of ours
We were truly blessed to know this incredible person. We always enjoyed his comical jokes and his fun loving spirit. We had many years with him and Emily playing cards with friends and going out to dinner every month for most of the time that we knew him and Emily. He will be greatly missed by all.
Mary Ellen and Ron Distl
Rose, I’m so sorry to hear of this. I’ll be thinking of you.
Dan was such a sweet soul and devoted family man. After he retired he did not hesitate to babysit Carliann, Trisha’s youngest, when she went back to work. Hold tight to the memories of his love and care. Our daughter was blessed to have such a special father-in-law.
Emily and family,
Randy and I send our condolences and prayers. Dan was such a good person and will be missed by many. May you be comforted by all your memories! We will always remember playing cards with you guys at Inez’s!
Emily, I’m so sorry to hear about Dan’s passing! Hugs and prayers for you and your family. Renae Holland
Emily and family I am so sorry for your loss. Dan was always a great friend to Rick. I know that they had some good times together. Hugs and prayers for your family.
Emily and family: our deepest and heartfelt condolences are sent in this time of loss. God be with you all.
Emily and family,
Our deepest condolences and so sorry for your loss. Prayers for you and your family
Emily and family, I was saddened to learn of Dan’s passing. Dan was a great guy and fun to be around. May your hearts be filled with the loving memories of Dan at this time of sorrow.
Tim & Cathy Adamescu
Emily and Family: I was saddened to read of your loss of Dan. I am glad that I ran into you last summer and was able to talk a little bit with you both. He was one of the sweetest guys you could ever hope to know and I was blessed to have worked with him at the Tuby! Wonderful memories of all of our dinners and get-togethers over the years. Maybe he and Larry are discussing some type of strategies in their heavenly home! Hugs and prayers for you and your family!
Emily and family so sorry to learn of Dan’s passing. deepest sympathy to the family.
Emily and Family,
We are so sorry to hear of Dan’s passing…..We always loved the rare occasions we spent with you both-loving life to the fullest. Hugs and prayers….
Dear Emily,
I’m so sorry and saddened for your loss. Dan was always such a nice guy. Remember him most from high-school day’s. I know your memories of him will last you and your family forever!!
Dear Emily, We are so sorry and saddened to hear of Dan’s passing. May he rest in peace and may you find comfort in all your memories of him. God bless you and your family.
Dear Emily, We are so saddened to hear of Dan’s passing. He was a very special person. May you and your family find peace in knowing how much we all care and value your memories. Pat and Dick
Emily,
We are SO sorry to hear this.
Our sincere condolences.
Cheryl & Tom
I am very sorry to hear of Dan’s passing. Thoughts and prayers to the family.
Our deepest sympathy Emily to you and your family. Always enjoyed his smile and our little chats.
Our deepest sympathy to you Emily and your family.
Always enjoyed his smile and our little chats. Gods blessings now to carry you through this loss.
Emily and family my deepest sympathy on the loss of Dan. prayers for peace and comfort at this time. Dan was a good friend and classmate and neighbor. RIP Dan.
Emily, I am so sorry to hear about Dan. He was one of my favorite people always happy you always smiling always had good things to say he made me laugh many times over the years that we spent working together at the Tubiy. Bless you for keeping him at home. I know that’s not an easy job, but he was blessed to have you. You’re in my thoughts and prayers.
I am so sorry to hear of Dan’s passing. He was a great neighbor and was always very kind to the younger kids in the Third Street neighborhood.
We are sorry to hear of Dan’s passing. Condolences Emily to you and your family.
Sending prayers!
Emily and family, so sorry to hear of Dan passing. You have my deepest sympathy.
1st met Dan 30+ years ago as he was a coworker and friend of my dads as they both were working in sales at the Tuby. Dan always had a smile on his face and I enjoyed being around him, each and every time. Dad always called him “huggsie”, which was just awesome…❤️. So sorry to hear of his passing. Always laughing. Always smiling. Thoughtful and really made others feel good in his presence. I truly enjoyed my conversations with him and Emily over the years. . Thinking of Emily and the family as you all mourn this loss. Jeff Van Vlerah
Sending our love & prayers. So very sorry for your loss. Glad we got to talk to both of you at Meijer’s a couple months ago. Love & strength to you & your family. Heaven gained a wonderful angel. ❤️
Dear Emily, Dan was a great guy and terrific neighbor. We were sad when you guys moved to Lexington. Love and prayers to you and your family. ❤️❤️
Emily and family, so sorry to hear about Dan’s passing. You have our deepest condolences and prayers. Way Dan rest in peace.
The Hughes family has been part of our lives for as long as we can remember. Tom and I have been friends since we were four years old. The kind of friendship that isn’t measured in years, but in shared lives, shared stories, and countless moments that quietly shape who you become.
Our dads, Dave and Dan, worked together in the office at “the Tuby” for many years. Tom and I may have met at the Tuby for all I know, we would raid the candy machine when our dads had to work on Saturday and throw paper airplanes across the office balcony.
Some of our favorite memories are from the simple days on Sunset shooting BB guns in the backyard for the first time, with Dan nearby, an Old Milwaukee beer in hand, keeping an eye on us with that easy smile of his, making sure we were shooting at the target and not the neighbors’ windows. Those moments say everything about who Dan was.
Tom and I have spent countless days fishing together over the years, but one trip will always stand out, a few years ago on Lake Erie, when Tom and I invited our dads, to join us for a walleye fishing trip. On the drive up, Dan and Dad talked the entire way about an old golf league, picking up stories and laughs right where they had left off years before. On the water, it was four generations of stories, jokes, quiet moments, and laughter, rocking on the lake together. It was one of those days you didn’t realize how special it was until later and then you realized it was everything.
Dan was kind, gentle, steady, and genuine. He loved his family deeply, and you could see it in every interaction, every smile, and every corny joke. He was the kind of man who made people feel comfortable just by being around him.
We are incredibly grateful for the lifelong connection between our families and for the memories that will stay with us forever. Dan will always be part of our story in friendships, the work, the laughter.
With love and sympathy,
The Melick Family
Andy, Dave, and Jenn
Dear Emily and family , Sorry to hear of Dans passing . Sending prayers and hugs . May your memories bring you strength moving forward ❤️
Dan was a great classmate at SHS. We shared many laughs together. The world just lost another great guy.
Dear Emily, We are so sorry to hear of Dans passing. Our deepest condolences to you and your family.
Emily, I am so very sorry for your loss. I enjoyed working with Dan at the Tuby. He taught me so many things there. Also, he was sometimes a rascal to be dealt with as he always managed to call me out when I was coming into work – late. Dan made sure his good morning greetings were loud enough for the bosses to hear. I would roll my eyes at him as if to say “thanks” and he would laugh that silly laugh he had. He was so much fun to work with and will be missed.
Emily and family I feel your loss and hope that you are doing ok. Dan and I shared time at shs as classmates, football, and generally growing up together. We were in Vietnam at the same time and kept in touch. He was funny and one of the nicest guys I’ve known. I heard of his passing and lost a piece of myself. We will all miss him and I hope to see.him in our afterlife. Francie
Dear Emily,
I just heard about Dan’s passing. I am so sorry this has happened. He was a special neighbor always teasing when I would walk Annie by.
You both were the first neighbors to come down to the house when Charlie passed away. And now I am too far away to return the love you both showed me.
I am glad your family is close. You will be in my prayers. A day at a time……..
Love, Deborah Iams
To Emily and Family. I am heartbroken for you. Dan was the first person I ever worked with from the Tubi when I was still in Michigan. He was my contact. I considered him one of my best friends at work. He was always a super nice guy, easy to work with, and just an all-around good person. Everyone was thrilled when he met you. He will be missed.
Dear Emily and family, I was so saddened to learn of Danny’s passing. Barbara and I send our sincere sympathy to your family and his many friends.
Jim Eakins
To the Hughes Family,
Please accept our sympathies and prayers for the passing of Dan. What a remarkable man.
The Ron Nelson Family
Emily, so sorry to hear about Dan’s passing. What a great guy. We go all the way back to the Rhythm Bowl days when my Dad bowled with Dan, Jim and dad Jim. And to our days together at Shelby Insurance. Dan always had a smile and greeting no matter where I saw him/you guys. Feel terrible I just saw this today. Will have you in our thoughts and prayers.
Hi Aunt Emily, I consider you Aunt Emily from all those Ohio trips with Diane, I’m so very sorry for your loss , my thoughts and prayers are with you at this time of your sadness thinking about you and wanted to reach out and let you know how very sorry I am. He was a great man.!!! Please take care of yourself and Diane will update me on how you are doing!!!!! Love Angela Dispenza
Emily.. I’ve known you and Dan forever, longer than Andrew has!! But Andy said it all and I can’t compete with what he wrote. Love u so much. U and your family are in our prayers. Hugs always