Gail Hughes

Gail Hughes of Lawrence, Kansas, previously of California, Missouri passed away peacefully surrounded by family on January 21, 2023.

Gail Hughes was born June 10, 1931, in Versailles, Missouri the son of Met and Lorene Hughes. He has a younger sister, Karen Hughes Hall who survives. He was married on November 11, 1949, to Dorothy Kauffman, his wife of seventy years who preceded him in death.

Hughes graduated from Versailles High School. He received his undergraduate degree from Central Methodist University and graduate degrees in Public Administration from University of Missouri, Columbia and in Criminal Justice Administration from Central Missouri State University.

He spent 41 years with the Missouri Department of Corrections, starting as a corrections caseworker at the Missouri State Penitentiary in 1952. He was Chief of the State's Probation and Parole system for twenty years and ended his last eight years with the Department as Deputy Director retiring in 1993. From the time of his retirement until December of 2006 he was employed as Executive Secretary for the Association of Paroling Authorities, International. Hughes also worked for the Center for Effective Public Policy, a Washington D. C. consulting firm doing work for the U.S. Justice Department. He is the past president of the Central States Corrections Association, Missouri Corrections Association, California Progress Inc., Moniteau County R-l School Board, Moniteau County Library Board, Moniteau County Historical Society, Moniteau County Democrat Central Committee, and was the first chairperson of the Missouri State Sentencing Commission. He served on a number of local, state, and national commissions and boards and was the author of many professional articles. He has been a consultant for federal and state criminal justice agencies. He has the distinction of being the only person to be the recipient of the three highest awards of his profession: E. R. Cass Award from the American Correction Association, Walter Durbar Award from the American Probation and Parole Association and the Vincent O'Leary Award from the Association of Paroling Authorities, International. In addition, he is the recipient of the Liberty Bell Award from the Missouri Bar Association; Citizen of the Year Award from the California Chamber of Commerce, The Spirit of the Manito Award from the Moniteau County Historical Society, Moniteau County Democrat Hall of Fame, and was an active member of the United Methodist Church. He received other honors and awards relating to his career and community service. He lived in California, Missouri from 1955 until 2021 when he moved to Lawrence, Kansas to be near his Family.

His survivors include one son Steven Hughes and his wife Ruth Allee Hughes of Lawrence, Kansas, two daughters Deborah Engelbrecht, PhD and her husband Earl of Lee's Summit, Missouri and Mary Kay Merrill and her husband Bill of Grand Junction, Colorado; four grandchildren: Nick Engelbrecht MD (Sabra), Lora Engelbrecht Sebold, Amber Hughes Merrill (Dimitri) and Cameron Hughes (Emma); nine great grandchildren Savannah, Sarah, Sidney, and Sutton Sebold, Dawson and Leo Engelbrecht, Metlin and Milo Merrill and Graham (Hopper) Hughes.

Services will be held at the Lawrence United Methodist Church at 2:00 PM on Friday February 3rd and at the California United Methodist Church at 1:00 PM on Saturday February 4th.

No flowers please. Memorials can be made to the California United Methodist Church, Lawrence United Methodist Church, Moniteau County Missouri Library or Central Methodist University and may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary, 120 W. 13th Street, Lawrence, KS 66044.

For more information or to post a condolence go to warrenmcelwain.com.