Roll Call Tribute

The Battalion
Published: Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Updated: Tuesday, September 20, 2011 01:09

Student dies after rolling his truck
By Natalee Blanchat

Jacob Brent Hughes, senior wildlife and fisheries science major, died Sunday night in a car crash.

At 10:30 p.m., 22-year-old Hughes was driving northbound on I&GN Road in College Station in a 2005 Toyota Tacoma.

On Facebook, Hughes classified himself as a "chillin' professional," alongside his actual profession — Dixie Chicken cook and bartender. His co-workers at the Chicken, Roy Atkinson and Matt Weaver, said Hughes had a comical side and knew how brighten anyone's day.

"He knew what to say to bring you up when you were down," Atkinson said. "He was one of those people who knew how to make you laugh instantly."

Weaver, senior sports management major, met Hughes in 2009 when they were cashiers for the Chicken Oil Co. before they moved to the Dixie Chicken.

Weaver said Hughes was his best friend because of Hughes' honest personality.

"He wasn't scared to step up and go against the grain," Weaver said. "He wasn't scared to speak the truth about things. He had a heart of gold."

Weaver recalled a time when he was bed-ridden for more than a year. He said Hughes was one of the few friends who would visit him in the hospital.

"My mom lives in Florida and my dad lives overseas," Weaver said. " He was one of the few friends to make sure I was OK and offered to buy me groceries if I needed them."

Atkinson and Weaver reminisced about good times spent with their friend, from the day he rescued four homeless dogs at once to his diverse taste in music, which ranged from country to rap. They toasted to the memory of Hughes because they said that's what he would have wanted.

"That was one of his last requests actually," Atkinson said. "He always said if he ever passed away he would want all of his friends and family not to mourn, but to celebrate. That's just the kind of person he was."

According to a police report, Hughes was driving faster than the posted speed limit. He lost control of his vehicle and ran off the roadway to the left, the police report said. After over-correcting, he traveled down an embankment and rolled several times, pinning himself inside the vehicle, according to the Department of Public Safety reports. Hughes was pronounced dead at 12:40 a.m.

A memorial service was planned for friends and family members Wednesday at the First Baptist Church in Center, Texas.
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Watson & Sons Funeral Home  obituary

Name: Jacob Brent Hughes, 22

Died: September 18, 2011, in College Station

Services: 
Jacob Brent Hughes, 22, of Center, passed away on Sunday, September 18, 2011 at College Station Medical Center. He was born in Nacogdoches on December 21, 1988 to Lance Hughes and Bridget Jackson Hughes. Jacob graduated from Center High School in 2007 and was currently pursuing a degree in Wildlife Ecology Conservation at Texas A&M's College of Agriculture and Life Science. He was a member of the Wildlife Conservation Club.

Visitation will be held from 5:00pm to 8:00pm on Tuesday, September 20, 2011 at Watson and Sons Funeral Home [in Center]. Funeral services will be held at 2:00pm on Wednesday, September 21, 2011 at First Baptist Church in Center with Bro. Don Murphree officiating. Interment will follow at Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Shelby County.

Pallbearers will be Clay Ihlo, Koby Youngblood, D.J. Allen, Dean Mize, Jacob Hudspeth, Travis Wallach, Justin French and Ryan Fitzgerald. Honorary pallbearers will be Wil Blackshear, Tyler Patterson, Arjun Atholi and Durrell Harris.

He is survived by:
Parents, Lance and Bridget Hughes of Timpson

Sister, Holly Hughes of Timpson

Grandparents:
Bob and Sandra Hughes of Center
Jimmy and Patricia Jackson of Shelbyville

Great Grandparents, Willie and Herbert A. Elliott of Shelbyville

Cousin, Carly Collins of Center

Numerous cousins and other relatives

A host of friends

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jacob's name to Shelby County Ducks Unlimited c/o Shelby Savings Bank.