Charles S. "Chuck" Hughes, III , of Crozet, Virginia, made a peaceful transition on April 27, 2025, after a brief illness.

Chuck was born in 1935, to Alice Fulford Hughes and Charles S Hughes Jr. in Norfolk, Virginia. After graduating from Maury High School in 1954, he went on to study Civil Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, now Virginia Tech, graduating with a B. S. degree in 1958. While at Virginia Tech he was inducted into the Chi Epsilon Civil Engineering honor fraternity and the Tau Beta Pi Engineering honor fraternity. After graduating from V.P.I., he earned a Master of Civil Engineering degree in 1962, and joined the Virginia Department of Highway as an engineer trainee. He was subsequently transferred to the Virginia Highway Research Council in Charlottesville and while there, he was inducted into the Sigma Xi honorary research fraternity.

In 1976, he and three partners started a consulting company teaching quality assurance (QA) primarily to state highway departments for the Federal Highway Administration. Chuck continued consulting with various partners throughout the rest of his career. During his career he authored or co-authored over 100 papers and studies on highway materials, construction and quality assurance.

He was very active in two international transportation organizations for over 60 years; the Transportation Research Board and the Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists, serving as President of the latter organization in 1983.

Of all the awards he received, the two he most cherished were being elected as Honorary Member of Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists in 1999 and being inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Alumni in the Civil Engineering Department of Virginia Tech in 2003.

In his earlier life his hobbies were woodworking, gardening, Virginia Tech athletics, especially football and wrestling, and raising children. After retirement he enjoyed hiking with local seniors, affectionately named "Chuck's Group", and he and Diane enjoyed traveling and hiking, with trips in the Americas, Europe, and Oceania, although professionally, he continued to collaborate with other researchers until shortly before his final illness.

Chuck was predeceased by his parents, his wife of 62 years, Diane, and his cousin, Dick "Bubba" Hall. He is survived by his children, Sharon Hughes Taylor and her fiancé, Linwood Brown, of Crozet, Va., Steve Hughes (Jamie) of Crozet, Va., Susan Hughes Hilleary (Jim) of Marshall, Va., and Sean Eoghan Hughes of North Garden, Va.; his grandchildren, Lisa, Mary, Rachel, Patrick, Hannah, Charles, Jacob, and Haley; and ten great-grandchildren.

The family requests that donations be sent to the Charles S. Hughes III '58 Scholarship, Virginia Tech College of Engineering, The Building Goodness Foundation of Charlottesville, or to Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Greenwood Virginia, 7599 Rockfish Gap Turnpike, Greenwood VA 22943.

A celebration of life service and reception will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday June 7, 2025, at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Greenwood.

Anderson Funeral Services of Crozet is in charge of arrangements.