Alumni Obituaries – April 2017
Rev. Gary D. Hughes, (MDiv, 1974), 67 of Lebanon, Ohio died Saturday, August 13, 2016. Born to Wilfred and Alma Hughes on February 24, 1949 in Sioux City, Iowa. Gary was a graduate of George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon and of Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky.
Gary enjoyed all birds, especially hummingbirds. He was a HAM radio operator and a United Methodist minister for more than four decades; serving for 11 years at the Lebanon United Methodist Church before his retirement, and served part-time the last 5 years at Waynesville United Methodist Church.
He was preceded in death by his father, Wilfred Hughes and his first wife, Vangie (Miller) Hughes. Gary met Vangie at Asbury Theological Seminary. She worked as a secretary, and Gary would leave roses on her desk every Monday morning without her knowing who they were from. After weeks of anonymously leaving the boutiques, Gary finally revealed himself, and the two began courting. “The best part about the roses?” Beth Green, Vangie’s sister, asked. “Gary had a job working every Sunday afternoon cleaning up a cemetery near Lexington. He’d clean the old flowers from the graves and collect the roses that still looked good and make big bouquets for Vangie!”
Gary was survived by his wife, Fran Hughes of Lebanon, and his mother, Alma Hughes of Portland, Oregon. Memorial donations may be made to the Waynesville United Methodist Church and the Otterbein Benevolent Fund.
Rev. Charles Dupree, (Non Degree Alumni), 86, better know within One Mission Society (OMS) as “Chuck,” died on February 13, 2017. He was born on May 26, 1931, on a farm in Americus, Georgia, 80 miles southwest of Macon, to Charles and Lula, who were deeply devoted to God. They served faithfully at the nearby Methodist church and also incorporated a family altar within their own home, leading their three children by godly example. When Chuck was 15, he felt God convicting him of his need for a personal experience. He gave his heart and life to the Lord at a camp meeting.
Before Chuck even began attending Asbury College, God had placed a desire within him to preach. During his years at Asbury, he became deeply involved with street evangelism and was made pastor of the Nicholasville City Mission in June of 1951. He also responded to a definite call during the annual missionary conference held at Asbury. OMS missionary, Rev. Bill Gillam was instrumental in Chuck’s life during the month’s that followed. Following the Lord’s leading, Chuck applied to both Asbury Theological Seminary for further studies and to One Mission Society to serve overseas. When he received his acceptance letter from OMS outlining how much he would need to raise in order to serve in Japan, Chuck thought it would be impossible. On a Sunday evening, without telling anyone, he put out a fleece. If he received any of the money by midnight the following Thursday, he would know the Lord wanted him in Japan. Chuck expected a check to be in the mail on Monday, but there was nothing. Each day he check, including multiple times on Thursday, but there was nothing. That evening, he fell asleep at his desk, studying, and was awakened by a fellow college student. He told Church that he had been praying and the Lord told him to give Chuck 5 dollars, but had no idea why. He apologized for being late, but as Chuck looked at the clock, 11:55 p.m., he told the student he was “just on time.”
Chuck graduated from Asbury in 1952 and left for Japan six months later, leaving behind his sweetheart, JoAnn McClure. For two years, he worked in door-to-door and tent evangelism. Upon successful completion of his commitment, he returned to the States to enroll at Asbury theological Seminary and married JoAnn on January 2, 1955.
Sixteen months later, Chuck and JoAnn, along with six-month-old Elizabeth, arrived in Japan, where they initially began their rewarding and varied missionary careers by supervising evangelism teams, assisting new churches, and pioneering a youth camping program. During these fruitful years, Chuck and JoAnn were additionally blessed with four sons.
When their five children were school-age, they moved to the Tokyo area, where the children attended the Christian Academy in Japan (CAJ), a missionary children’s school. Chuck served as treasurer and business manager for OMS and for Tokyo Biblical Seminary. During this time, he planned the building of a Japan Holiness Church campsite on Oshima Island, just outside Tokyo Bay. Later, Chuck served as the business administrator for CAJ. They lived on the Higashi Murayama campus, where Chuck also served as the OMS field treasurer. Chuck pursued further education from Azusa Pacific University and earned a master’s degree in 1981.
Later, Chuck and JoAnn ministered in the Kinki District from July 1983 through May 1995. Their responsibilities included assisting the district churches in their evangelism and training programs and supervising the OMS missionaries appointed to the district. the district churches increased from 12 to 17 as a result. During this time, Chuck also coordinated the development of another church campsite on Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest inland lake.
The Duprees and another couple alternated in helping a Japan Holiness Church pastor buy property and establish the Sendai church, which, today, is a strong mother church with a daughter church. Together, these two missionary couples raised money for the original church and worked for 1- years with that pastor and 10 others churches int he northern part of Japan. Chuck and JoAnn then lived in Yamagata, north of Sendai, and worked in support of several churches up and down the coast. Chuck had the wonderful gift of faith and believed God for great things in the response to the Gospel in that area.
After their children graduated from high school, Chuck and JoAnn wanted to be in more direct contact with the Japan Holiness churches and so became “area missionaries” to the more southern Kobe district. They had served there for about 15 years when a massive, devastating earthquake hit the area, killing thousands. Although Chuck and JoAnn were safe, they continued to live in their damaged home for months afterward and ministered physically and spiritually to their neighbors and the people of the district’s churches. Following the initial recovery and restoration period, Chuck and JoAnn decided that it was a good time to consider drawing their time in Japan to a close. They retired from the field after 40 years, amid great appreciation and much celebration from the Japa Holiness Church.
Chuck could be identified as part of “the Greatest Generation” that Tom Brokaw made famous through his book of the same name. The Greatest Generation were those men and women who grew up in the United States during the deprivation of the Great Depression and then went on to fight in World War II, as well as those whose productivity on the home front made a decisive material contribution to the war effort. In Chuck’s case, his (and JoAnn’s) contributions were to help recover and restore the personal dignity, self-worth, and eternal salvation of a people subjugated, following World War II and the Korean War. As a result, Chuck was deeply loved and appreciated by the Japanese people. He loved God and served him with all his heart.
Ever since JoAnn preceded Chuck to heaven on March 16, 2014, Chuck’s desire was to leave this world behind. He wanted to join JoAnn in their eternal reward and be among those Japanese, also worshipping God in heaven, in whom they had invested most of their lives.
Elizabeth, David, Mark, Paul, and Stephen, as well as your spouses, children, and grandchildren, be assured of the love and prayers of your OMS family. We pray that the Holy Spirit’s presence and comfort will uplift and strengthen you during these days of mourning your great loss. We rejoice with you in Chuck’s life – he fought the good fight, finished his race, and kept the faith. He lived his life well for God’s honor and glory and has now gone on to be with him forever.
-Bob Fetherlin, President, One Mission Sovciety
What a joy to have known Chuck & JoAn! It was at their house in Wilmore where we first heard of OMS! We served w/OMS 9 yrs in Ecuador & hdq. Now we are pastor of counseling at Grace community Church in Arlington TX! May the Lord bless you family members with great joy as you remember your parents in years to come!