Former Dearborn Farm Market owner Art Hughes of Plymouth died Sept. 27 at the age of 82 due to compilations of temporal arteritis.
DEARBORN — The city and surrounding area lost a familiar and friendly face within the community in Art Hughes, of Plymouth, following his death on Sept. 27.
Hughes died at the age of 82 due to complications of temporal arteritis.
He was the former owner of Dearborn Farm Market, 2645 Monroe, from 1983 until 2018 when it was sold to an undisclosed owner.
Hughes and then-business partner Doug Hirvela opened Dearborn Farm Market and Trentwood Farm Market in Woodhaven. Hughes’ son Patrick Hughes bought the Woodhaven store from his father and opened another location called Trentwood Farms in Southgate.
Art Hughes retired from owning the Dearborn market in December after 35 years.
“He still continued to look in on us at our Woodhaven and Southgate location to help out and offer guidance,” the Trentwood Farms Facebook page read on Sept. 28. “Art was always contributing to Dearborn and surrounding communities by participating in fundraisers, donation drives and events. We will continue to carry on his legacy and appreciate all that he created for us.”
The medical issues began for Art Hughes at age 33 when he survived stage three cancer. In February, he became blind due to the temporal arteritis. His health worsened after being admitted to the hospital for a collapsed lung on Sept. 20.
Art Hughes leaves his wife, Ellen; their eight children Cathy, Lorrie, Ann, Greg, Tim, Kelly, Christine and Patrick; 26 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held Oct. 2 at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church, 47650 N. Territorial Road in Plymouth.
He was laid to rest at Interment Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, 258000 W. 10 Mile Road in Southfield. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Special Olympics Michigan or St. Vincent de Paul, according to the obituary.
Throughout the years, Art and Ellen Hughes were involved and committed to several local charities including Muscular Dystrophy Association, Dearborn Firefighters Burn Drive, Dearborn Police charities, Dearborn Goodfellows, Dearborn Exchange Club, Dearborn Schools and local Girl Scouts troops.
Dearborn Fire Battalion Chief Steve Worden praised the charity work of the couple saying they also helped youth hockey teams, Special Olympics, area churches, schools and the homeless.
“Over the years Art has become a very close friend of mine and took a particular interest in our charity, the Burn Drive,” Worden said in 2018. “He provided our corn on the cob for our Homecoming fundraiser and helped deliver the thousands of pumpkins we sell at our Pumpkin Patch. He can always be counted on and will be missed by the community!”
Worden added that the Hugheses also served hundreds of families in need with food and fruit baskets and employed hundreds of local youth.
Reflecting on his friend’s death, Worden said he will remember Hughes as a “nice, giving person who was always willing to give back to the community and fire department charity.” The two first met 22 years ago when Worden shopped at Dearborn Farm Market and remained close family friends.
“What I am going to miss the most is Art’s concern for others and his smile when we walked into the store — which is the main reason I went to the store, to see him every day,” Worden said. “Art was a beautiful person and always so caring to me and my family. He always put himself last.”
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected])