John Coleman Hughes, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, passed away peacefully on June 1, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. John was born on August 11, 1943, in Fort Lewis, Washington and grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is the son of Dr. Jack and Mary Hughes and was the oldest of four children. He attended high school at Shady Side Academy and graduated from the University of Notre Dame. John had very close friends in high school and college, and he kept those relationships for life. John met Anne Reardon in 1963 at a Notre Dame football game. It was the beginning of a beautiful relationship and a marriage that lasted 59 years.

After college, John and Anne moved to Sioux Falls. While John loved his east coast roots, he embraced Sioux Falls, Anne's family and built a beautiful life in the Midwest. John was a respected businessman in Sioux Falls. He began his career at DAKON and went on to start two businesses; Hughes Equipment and Hughes Image Systems. John was a calm, fair, and thoughtful business leader. That same demeanor carried into giving back to his business and local communities. John chaired and served on several boards, including O'Gorman High School, Avera McKennan Hospital, Great Plains Zoo, Farm Equipment Wholesalers Association, AAA of South Dakota, among others.

John loved the outdoors and the wide open spaces of South Dakota. He loved his golf buddies, and cherished hunting and fishing trips with his son and close friends. While the adventures were fun, it was the laughter, the stories and the re-telling of stories over the years that he enjoyed the most. John was the kind of friend that others could count on, and he valued his relationships.

Above all, John was a devoted family man. He was a loving husband and father, and especially loved the fun of family vacations. He was a proud "Papa" to six grandchildren. He loved gathering his kids and grandchildren at Lake Okoboji and on the beach in Naples, Florida.

John is preceded in death by his parents, brother Tim Hughes and son-in-law Rick Kotovic.  John is survived by his wife Anne; his three children, Mary Scheid (Chris), Pat Hughes (Chrisy) and Nancy Kotovic; his grandchildren Ellie Scheid, RJ, Martha and Jimmy Hughes, Elizabeth and John Kotovic, all from the Minneapolis area. John is also survived by his sisters Ann Carey and Kathy Friday (Roger).

A Memorial Mass will be held at 11 A.M. on Monday, June 15th at Church of St. Mary in Sioux Falls. There will be a private burial prior to Mass. The family requests, in lieu of flowers, donations be made in John's honor to Avera Foundation or Children's Home Society.