November Resident

Summerfield Retirement

Lynda Hughes is loved by all who meet her! She has a warm, loving and charitable demeanor, and makes friends with all who come in contact with her. She was born in the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City on June 12, 1941. She attended school at BYU, where she met and married her sweetheart, Kent Hughes in the Salt Lake Temple in 1966. Kent and Lynda raised a beautiful family in Northern Virginia. They were blessed with two daughters and a son. Feeling their family wasn’t yet complete, they adopted a son and daughter from Seoul, Korea. They have 17 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren, and she loves every moment of it! Lynda has always been a very spiritual and faithful daughter of her Heavenly Father. Her calling has always been to serve others; she is the glue of her family, her church callings, her ward members, her neighbors. She has been a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Thoughts from her daughter, Shelly: Mom’s first priority has always been her children and family, often at the expense of her own wants and needs. I’m fairly certain it was not her idea of job satisfaction to do daycare in our home when we kids were growing up, but she did it to provide a loving presence at home for her kids before and after school. There were times I felt I didn’t need that and I was too mature to have a mom at home, and most of my friends’ moms had jobs outside the home and I thought they were cooler. Now that I am an adult and have raised my own kids, I am especially grateful for a mom that was always there for me. It was something I wanted to give my own kids. Mom has been there for me through everything: through pimples and braces; school drama; heartbreak; letting me fly the nest (6000 miles away); my marriage and children; the death of my spouse and single parenthood; my remarriage and various struggles with my own children. Always her number one concern has been for me and my welfare. Her love for me and everyone I have brought into our family has been one of the main solid rocks I have always looked to through good times and difficult ones.
I have also always been inspired by my mom’s great spiritual strength. She has been through some really difficult times in her life and has always stayed faithful and true. She has always turned to the Lord in times of trial and come through stronger and with ever more gratitude and compassion for others. She has reached out to so many others who were wounded and faltering and has offered them open arms, a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear and a vision of hope. That is something I have always admired and wanted to follow as an example. I love you, mom!

Thoughts from her daughter, Erin: I just wanted to add the handiwork she had done all her life. She sewed for us as kids, did cross stitch, crochet, knitting, and quilting. She made some very intricate altar cloths for the temple. She always attended our kids’ orchestra, dance, birthdays and events. She used those talents for others with the countless gifts she has made for family and friends. She taught me to have faith and trust in the Lord especially the toughest situations. She has been my confidant when I couldn’t talk to anyone else.

Thoughts from her son, Brian: My mom filled our lives with music. I have vivid memories of lying on the floor near our stereo speakers, listening to Peter Paul and Mary, the Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, the Statler Brothers, and Bluegrass. She would also pull out a guitar and play and sing to us. She always sang a beautiful alto part, and I learned early to listen carefully for the beautiful harmonies and powerful emotions in music. I loved it so much, and spent my childhood singing through the days. And all these years later, I’m still singing, because of my wonderful mom. I learned so much about serving the Lord from my mom. During my formative years in high school, I believe she served as Relief Society President, Primary President, and Young Women President. She was very committed in her callings, and it was a time of deep spiritual seeking for her. It was also a time of great seeking for me, and it was wonderful to watch her as she did everything she could to discern and follow the will of the Lord. The piece de resistance, or cherry on top, was my last summer at home before leaving on my mission, where every week I would go to the temple with her. We’d sometimes get to sit next to each other in the Washington DC temple endowment room, but we always had a sweet and meaningful trip up and back and sacred time in the temple. I trace my own commitment to the temple back to that time, and even further back, to when she and our dad would bring home cookies from the temple cafeteria for us kids!

Thoughts from her son, David: Mom is a very loving and caring person and such a hard worker. For the first 11 years of my life she ran a daycare out of our home. Watching and caring for many kids 5 days a week. Having kids of my own now I understand how difficult that must have been sometimes. She always made sure her own children knew she loved them and I never felt neglected or jealous. One of my fondest memories of mom is right after moving to Utah we went to South Fork park up Provo canyon for a picnic. I loved to fish but just coming from Virginia did not know how to catch trout. So after failed attempts with a rod and reel we as a family spent an afternoon catching them by hand and net (not knowing that was against regs). Mom always supported my love of fishing. She spent many hours in the summer with a book or crocheting on the banks of the Provo river while I learned to catch trout. She is now a wonderful grandmother to my two daughters who adore her and love to talk on facetime several times a week.

Thoughts from her daughter, Amy: a young woman, Mickey, in her 20’s on a motherly level and took her in. Mickey lived with us in a time where she needed emotional support and became our foster sister. One of the most cherished memories I have is when I received my endowments on the same day as my mom and dad’s 50th wedding anniversary. My dad had since passed away I developed a very deep and needful relationship with my mom and as a child, I would always sit right next to her on the arm before that day, but we could feel his warmth around us all day. I was able to experience that moment with all of my siblings, their spouses, of her recliner every morning before I would and my mom. This was the very first time all do anything else. I felt safe when she was near and I always loved spending that time with her. Throughout the years, we developed a very close bond and I would share my life with her in all things, she was the first person I would share my victories, my struggles, my joy and loss with. She cared for so many others and I learned how to serve by her example. In Virginia, of us were in the temple, together. She has always been an amazing example of someone who loves her Savior and has been steadfast in her conviction in the Gospel. I’m so grateful she has found a home at Summerfield – a great assisted living Utah facility, and she has made so many wonderful friends! Thank you to the staff for your care and love for our mother. We are so blessed to know she’s happy and loves every while daycare she and was raised Relief us Society kids, she president, connected she with did moment of her life in her new assisted living Utah community!