Local pioneer dead at 83

Agoura pioneer Harold Graham "Hughie" Hughes, died at his home in Carmel June 12 at the age of 83 after a long battle with cancer.

Hughes was born in Waurika, Okla., and grew up in Arizona.

He moved to Agoura in 1943 and worked as an engineer for the Los Angeles County Fire Department at Station 65 on Cornell Road for 25 years. He also lived a short time in Westlake Village before moving to Coronado in 1976. He then settled in Carmel in 1982.

Hughes was a former member of the Westlake Village Yacht Club, Coronado Yacht Club and the Coast Guard Auxiliary, for which he used his boat off the San Diego Coast as a search and rescue volunteer. He was a member of the Carmel Mission Basilica and the Monterey Peninsula Country Club.

Hughes is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Hughes, pioneer real estate broker and property owner in Agoura since 1946.

During the ’50s, most of the wells had gone dry, leaving Las Virgenes residents without water. Residents had to install large water tanks on their properties and when Hughes was off duty, he drove his tank truck to Calabasas to fill with water. He then distributed it to residents with tanks. While Hughes was supplying water by truck, Elizabeth Hughes was diligently working to bring water to Agoura by pipe. She was a member of the first board of directors of Las Virgenes Municipal Water District. She still owns land in the area.

Hughes is survived by a daughter, Terry Gonzalez of Thousand Oaks; a son, Harold G. Hughes Jr. of Woodland Hills; a stepdaughter, Valerie Hunken of Carmel; five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and two step-granddaughters.

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