Otilia Lucia Hughes

Otilia Lucia Hughes        Age: 93

Of: Dickson, Tennessee                 Died: Monday February 27, 2023, at NHC of Dickson.

Otilia (everyone called her Pila) Hughes was born in Torreon, Mexico and was one of eight children. She met her husband, Lawrence Hughes, at a dance when she was seventeen years old. Lawrence was in the Marines at that time and was on leave just after World War II- when he and a friend went driving into Mexico. As they drove through Torreon, a small city 400 miles south of Texas, they saw a festival with a band and dancing and decided to stop. He asked Pila to dance, and she agreed.  As they entered the dance floor a photographer took their picture. Although he was only there at the dance, they exchanged addresses and wrote to each other for several years during which Lawrence learned Spanish and Pila learned English. Finally, Lawrence drove back into Mexico to marry her and brought her back into the United States with him. They had three children, Tony, Mark, and Marta- and went on to be very happily married for nearly sixty years.

Pila was a smart, feisty little Mexican lady with a big heart who loved and protected her children with every fiber of her being. She was fluent in two languages, taught college classes when she was eighteen, occasionally wrote articles for a local newspaper, managed the family business, loved the color red, always forgot the punchline on jokes, laughed with a giggle, was an awesome wife and the world's best Mom.

No Service are planned at this time.   

Survived by:

2 Sons:

   Mark Hughes of Dickson, TN

   Tony Hughes of Orlando, FL

1 Brother:

   Filberto Salcedo of Mexico

1 Sister:

   Marharet C Rivas of Los Angeles, CA

4 Grandchildren

7 Great Grandchildren

Preceded in death by:

   Parents: Damaso, & Mariana Saldana Salcedo

   Husband: Lawrence B. Hughes

   Daughter: Marta Hughes

   Great Granddaughter: Michelle Hughes