Longtime Texas banker Jerry Charles Hughes passed away on December 8. He was 87. In his early 20s, he joined Longview-based Texas Bank and Trust Co. and converted its accounting system to digital. That launched a career in banking, which lasted until his retirement.

In 1970, Hughes accepted a position with American National Bank in Beaumont as senior vice president. A year later, Houston-based Texas Commerce Bank (now JPMorgan Chase) purchased the Beaumont bank. This began Hughes’ 22-year career with Texas Commerce Bank. In 1984, the bank called on him to take his considerable management and leadership skills to El Paso to serve as executive vice president/senior operations officer and resolve issues with the banks the company had purchased there. Four years later, the bank called on him again to make a move back to Dallas, this time to serve as executive vice president/chief operations officer, taking over the Dallas-area branches with the advent of branch banking in Texas. In 1992, Hughes retired from banking and he and his wife, Beth, bought a home in the garden district of Tyler. They subsequently moved to Austin in 2011.

During his years in Beaumont years, Hughes was very involved in his community. He served as president of the Beaumont chapter of the American Red Cross and then as a director on its board. He was a member of the budget and campaign committee for United Way. He served as treasurer of the Beaumont International Seamans Center and was a member of the Kiwanis Club. Hughes also became involved with the Boy Scouts in 1974 when he served on the district committee. He became district chairman in 1976 and served as a member of the council executive board. He was elected treasurer of the council in 1978. In 1982, he was awarded the Boy Scouts’ highest honor, the “Silver Beaver” award. Both of Hughes’ sons are Eagle Scouts.

Although he never attended a four-year college, Hughes attended the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin as well as the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University.

Hughes was preceded in death by Beth, his wife of 64 years. He is survived by his children, Kim Pryor (Don), Jeff Hughes (Joni), and Chris Hughes (Gina); grandchildren Hadley Hughes, Ryan Hughes, Sophie Hughes and Corinne Hughes; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., January 8, at Harrell Funeral Home, 4435 Frontier Trail in Austin.