Geoffrey Stephen Hughes, 69

Geoffrey Stephen Hughes, Geoff, passed away on Jan. 19, 2010, at Kalispell Regional Medical Center after a long battle with lymphoma. Geoff was born May 17, 1940, in The Bronx, N.Y., to Gerard and Mary Hughes. He grew up in The Bronx and attended high school at Fordham Prep where he graduated in 1957. He was a champion soccer player and a member of the Fordham Rams varsity basketball team, as well as an avid jitterbugger, winning many contests with his dance partner and cousin Alice Hughes. He spent three years serving his nation at sea as a merchant marine, and in 1966 he graduated with his Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Fla. While at JU he met Fran Davis who became his wife Dec. 27, 1966. Geoff and Fran moved to Montana in 1969 to enroll in graduate courses at the University of Montana, during which time he and Fran welcomed their first child, a daughter they named Kristin. Geoff graduated with his master s in organic chemistry in 1972 and worked for a few years at American Chemet lab outside of Helena. While in Helena, Geoff welcomed his second child, a son he and Fran named Shannon. In 1975, Geoff moved his family to Kalispell so he could work for the state s Water Quality Research Department, assisting with the implementation of the Clean Water Act, and later worked for the city of Kalispell s water department. Geoff finished his work for the government in 1984 and found his calling in teaching chemistry at Flathead High School. He was the chairman of the science department, oversaw the school s astronomy club and later was the official score keeper for various sports; though he was best known as Periodic Table Man and in his final years at the high school as the Voice of the Braves, announcing the high school s volleyball, basketball and football games. In 1998 President Bill Clinton honored Geoff with the Presidential Award, recognizing him as the top high school science teacher in the state of Montana. Geoff retired from Flathead High School in 2000 and joined the faculty at the Flathead Valley Community College in 2002 where he taught chemistry and took up pottery until he passed away. Geoff loved to be outdoors and his passion was hiking and camping in Glacier National Park where he also sat on the board of the Glacier National Park Associates, a volunteer coordinating organization. Other regions he enjoyed exploring included the Jewel Basin and the Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina, where he and Fran shared a home with her sister Hope. Geoff had a love for playing golf and was a member at Buffalo Hill Golf Course where they allocated the day s second tee-time to his foursome. Geoff was an avid traveler, chef extraordinaire and comedian. He enjoyed spending time in Europe, hiking in Switzerland and Germany with his wife and friends, exploring the local traditions and cuisines throughout the region. He was known by his friends as the best host because his sense of humor coupled with his passion for food allowed him to cook various meals from around the globe and pair each course with an appropriate joke or anecdote, often utilizing accents to emphasize the humor. Geoff is survived by his wife, Fran, of 43 years. He is also survived by daughter, Kristin; son, Shannon; daughter-in-law, Karin; and grandsons, Taylor and Hunter; brother, John; and sister, Marianne. Also surviving Geoff are sisters-in-law, Hope Gedeon and Barbara Hughes; and brothers-in-law, Tom Davis and John Kelly. Services will be held at 11 a.m. today, Jan. 20, at Epworth United Methodist Church in Kalispell. In lieu of gifts, the family has asked that donations be made to one of Geoff s favorite non-profit organizations: Glacier National Park Associates, P.O. Box 91, Kalispell, MT 59903; The Junaluskans, P.O. Box 87, Lake Junaluska, NC 28745; Epworth United Methodist Church, 329 Third Ave. E., Kalispell, MT 59901.