Hugh W. Truesdale Jr.

Hugh Wells Truesdale Jr., 87, of Hot Springs, Ark., passed away Sept. 4, 2021.

He was born Jan. 26, 1934, in San Diego, Calif., to Hugh and Bertha (Gleason) Truesdale.

Hugh was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, John and David Truesdale; niece, Shelley Truesdale; daughterin-law, Judy Truesdale; and his beloved Rottweiler, Sampson.

Hugh is survived by his wife, Pat Truesdale; children, Anthony Truesdale, Nancy (Gary) Criss, Robert (Tess) Truesdale; grandchildren, Cristy (Branndon) Karr, Travis (Meagan) Criss, Kirra Truesdale, Kyle Truesdale, Faith Pardillo; great-grandchildren, Joselynn Criss, Zeppelin Criss; and nephew, Dave Truesdale.

Whether with the military or in the private sector, Hugh saw places like Okinawa, Japan, Thule AFB, Greenland, Clark AFB, Philippines, Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands, Souda Bay Crete in Greece.

In 1969, as an employee of Federal Electric, Hugh was aboard the USNS Mercury in support of Apollo XI, the first manned lunar mission earning a “Golden Shellback” for crossing the equator on the International Date Line.

Hugh raised his three children by himself long before the term single mother/father became ubiquitous.

He instilled in his children the value of hard work and self-reliance. Vacations by car nearly every summer were the norm, as well as many camping trips in the mountains or on the beach. As an empty nester, Hugh found adventure riding his BMW motorcycle, participating in several Three Flags Tours going from Mexico to Canada with side trips to Texas and Arkansas.

Royal, Ark., became home after retirement. With seven acres in the country, there was much work to do in keeping the yard mowed and feeding all the deer, birds and squirrels. Later, for health reasons, a choice to move in town was made.

Hugh lived a good life, was loved by many and is now at peace in God’s presence.

Service will be 10 a.m. today, Sept. 9, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.

Online condolences at http://www.caruth-hale.com.