Obituary of Janus Angus Hughson

The final chapter in Janus Angus "Jim" Hughson's book of life was written in the early morning of 8 February 2023, when Jim peacefully passed at the Chalmers hospital after a brief illness. This is not a sad chapter, as at the great age of 89 Jim had a book full of interesting chapters, mostly happy, and had outlived many of his friends and colleagues. He was born 7 December 1933 in Moncton New Brunswick to his engineer father, Horace, and his artist mother, Maxine. He had a vagabond childhood with his sisters Brenda and Heather and they grew up all over the Maritimes while their father was building RCAF aerodromes during World War II. Jim was a Lt Colonel in the Moncton cadet corps and a lifelong Boy Scout and leader.

After the war, the family put down roots in Fredericton and Jim graduated from FHS after a stellar rugby career and somewhat less successful hockey one. In high school, he was known to his friends as “Cuffer”; a nickname given to him by his friend Paddy Gregg.

Jim is an alumnus of UNB, but never loved academics. From early adulthood, he was more interested in industry and spent his early work life in construction and road building. He married his childhood sweetheart Lorna May Nason, from Oromocto NB, in Niagara Falls Ontario when he was working on the falls power tunnel project. He joined Canadian Liquid Air in Moncton NB and later Sydney NS, where he acquired a knowledge of the compressed gas and welding industry. He used this knowledge to start his own business: Valley Oxygen, which he founded with Lorna (the real Boss) in Fredericton in 1967. They ran this business for over 30 years and thought of their employees as more like family. A subsidiary of Valley Oxygen, Valox, was an early innovator in New Brunswick’s nascent agriculture industry.

Although busy as a small business owner, Jim found time to mentor young entrepreneurs, was an active member and later president of the Fredericton Rotary Club, past President of the Fredericton Pony Club, a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International, and an active member of both the Miramichi Salmon Association and the Atlantic Salmon Federation. In his semi-retirement, he was the Executive director of the NB Roadbuilders Association.

Jim is survived by his wife of 68 years: Lorna; his son, Michael (Sharry) Fredericton; daughter, Susan, Vancouver, BC; four grandchildren Kynan (Michelle) Anchorage, Alaska; Max, Toronto; Emma, Vancouver; and Kate, Fredericton. He was happy to spend Christmas with his great grandson, Emrys, who visited from Anchorage. He was predeceased by his eldest daughter Catherine, who he loved and remembered all of his life. He took great interest in his children and grandchildren's academic, musical, and sporting pursuits and dragged Sue and her show horse Percy to every horse show, large and small, throughout the Maritimes.

Jim was a proud New Brunswicker and an active outdoorsman. He was one of the original builders of the scout lodge at Yoho Lake. He spent many happy hours snowmobiling with his buddy Fred Wood and many others. He was an ardent salmon angler and loved fishing with fellow devotees like Jack Fenety, Herbie Wade, Bud Bird, Babe Gagnon and the Cherry boys to name just a few. Now that the big fisherman has hung up his waders for the last time, he would appreciate those that remember him show the same care and love for the rivers of New Brunswick that he had.

Jim's family is grateful for the excellent care he got from his family doctor Chris Lambropoulos and Drs. Anan, Swan and Colpitts at the oncology department, as well as the skilled nurses of the extramural program: especially Debbie. Drs. Woodbury, Burton, and Barnhill and the excellent nurses and staff of the emergency orthopaedic departments at DECH made his last hours comfortable.

There will be no visitation. A memorial service will be held in the McAdam's Funeral Home Chapel on Tuesday, July 4, 2023 at 2:00 pm with Rev. Bob Jones officiating. In lieu of flowers, Jim's family would appreciate a donation to Camp Rotary at Grand Lake or the charity of the donor’s choice.

Memorial donations for Camp Rotary can be addressed to:  

Camp Rotary c/o Easter Seals New Brunswick 

65 Brunswick Street

Fredericton, NB 

E3B 1G5  

Submitted online, www.easterseals.nb.ca 

Or the treasurer of the Fredericton North Rotary Club, Brian Dingle, has graciously agree to collect donations for the camp.