Philip T. Hughes Jr. of Oak Bluffs died peacefully on July 11, 2025, at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, after celebrating his 84th birthday on the Fourth of July, his oft-stated personal goal.
Born in Hartford, Conn., he grew up in Wethersfield, Conn. He moved his young family to the Island in 1969 to start his contracting business, which was the second love of his life after his family. One of his customers told us in awe that few men were so totally defined by what they did.
Active in the community, serving on many Oak Bluffs town boards, his enthusiasms were contagious. A longtime member of the Martha’s Vineyard Rod and Gun Club, he took up skeet-shooting with the same passion. His Sunday morning ritual, no matter the weather, was to take his wife for a drive “to inspect my jobsites,” proudly reviewing “my houses”; Sunday afternoons were reserved for skeet. Then back to work.
He is survived by his wife, Joan L. Hughes; his children, Philip T. Hughes III (Jill Solloway), Kelley Hughes-Liao (David Liao), and Dana Hughes; his stepson, Nathaniel Lanza (Laura Valentine); his grandchildren, Morgan Hughes, Philip T. Hughes IV, Iris Liao, Ray Valentine Lanza, and Aleks Valentine Lanza. He is also survived by his first wife, Patricia Hughes of Oak Bluffs, and his brother, Robert Hughes (Christine Hughes).
A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, August 10 at 2 pm at the Sailing Camp Park in Oak Bluffs. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard, online at animalshelterofmv.org, or to an Island organization of your choice.