Leon David Hughes was born on Sept. 4, 1946, in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, to Marvin Lazell and Zella Dorothy (Powell) Hughes. He died on May 4, 2024, at the Jewell County Hospital in Mankato, Kansas, at the age of 77 years and 8 months.
Leon attended school in Torring- ton, Wyoming, where he graduated from high school. He then attended Eastern Wyoming Junior College and Chadron (Nebraska) State College before he was drafted into the US Army.
Leon met his wife, Davine Schwab, while they were in high school. They were married on Aug. 24, 1967, in Torrington, Wyoming. That same week Leon turned 21 years old and was drafted into the US Army. Leon’s basic training was in Texas. Then Leon and Davine moved to Washington state where he was stationed at Ft. Lewis until he left for Vietnam. Leon officially became a nurse while stationed at Ft. Lewis and he took that training to Vietnam where he served as a medic.
After Leon’s tour in Vietnam, he and Davine headed to Panama where Leon served for four years, putting his medical training to work there. Both Leon and Davine enjoyed their years in Panama, the only place in the world where you can watch the sun rise over the Pacific and set over the Atlantic. They enjoyed exploring Panama, including the “Valley of the Square Trees,” the only place in the world where trees have rectangular trunks. While in Panama, they became “parents” to two Macaws, two parrots, two black spider monkeys, a small ocelot, and a boa constrictor snake, which they had to leave in Panama when they returned to the United States in 1974.
Leon was then stationed at Ft Riley, and he started taking college courses at Kansas State University until he was honorably discharged from the US Army. After army life, Leon decided to make medicine a career choice, and Leon and Davine moved to Wichita for Leon to pursue a physician’s assistant certification. After graduation, they moved to Chanute where Leon worked in the hospital emergency room.
After several moves, Leon and Davine landed in Mankato, Kansas, where Leon worked as a PA for the Jewell County Rural Clinic and Hospital for 32 years, retiring in 2015.
Leon and Davine took many trips to Las Vegas and enjoyed their “down time” by attending magic shows, eating at favorite places and “people watching.” Leon was an avid fisherman and enjoyed fishing with his friends and family. He also enjoyed riding his scooter around town visiting with people.
Leon was a lifetime member of the VFW and was proud to be an American.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Marvin and Dorothy Hughes, sister, Peggy Harmon and her husband, Tom Harmon.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Davine of Mankato.
Leon’s wishes were to be cremated, and for his cremated remains to be buried at a veterans cemetery, which will occur at a later date.
A visitation was held from 1 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15, at Melby Mortuary, with the family greeting friends from 6 to 8 p.m.
Memorials are requested to Jewell County EMS or the Jewell County Hospital, and may be sent to Melby Mortuary, PO Box 384, Mankato, Kansas, 66956.
Melby Mortuary assisted the Hughes family with these arrangements, http://www.melbymortuary.com
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