Eugenie Hughes

Eugenie Blankenship Hughes, 63, or "Genie," passed away on Sunday, September 29th, surrounded by family and friends. She was a one-of-a-kind woman with a fighting spirit and an even bigger heart. She grew up in the Mayfield neighborhood of Middletown until her parents and sister moved to Monroe, and she would tell stories of riding down Todhunter hill on her bike, going to dances at LeSourdesville Lake, and seeing The Beatles at Crosley Field. A graduate of the Monroe class of 1968, Genie came to live in New York City for several years, a time when she learned street smarts and self-reliance. This time also honed her lifelong love of music, as she encountered some of the greatest jazz musicians to ever play, including Dizzy Gillespie, Les McAnn, and Eddie Harris. After leaving NYC, Genie joined the Army and served with pride, always keeping her WAC uniform neatly pressed in the front closet. After Genie left the military, she worked for twelve years as a claims adjustor for State Farm Insurance. Her only child, Hayley—a black-haired, wide-eyed little girl who was the spitting image of her mother—was born a few years later. Genie was in ill health for many years, but she and her daughter were known all around Middletown, mostly because of the way they made people laugh at their favorite haunts: The Jug; Milton's Donuts; The Liberty; the library. When Hayley decided she wanted to sing, Genie listened to Verdi and Puccini. When she wanted to write, Genie read everything she could get her hands on. When Hayley cried, she cried; and when she smiled, Genie was at her happiest. Genie liked to say that her daughter was her greatest accomplishment, and even now, that little girl's childhood drawings and handmade cards are hung in Genie's home with care. Hayley is and always will be grateful for the unspeakable depths of her mother's love.

Genie was incredibly lucky to find love in the final years of her life with her husband, James Johnson. Genie and James, or "Jimmy," were at once like old friends with their silly inside jokes and like teenage sweethearts with their perennial hand-holding and kisses on the cheek. Jimmy took care of Genie, with no holds barred. Jimmy gave Genie the gift of being able to enjoy her favorite things: going for walks; taking pictures; watching birds in the beautiful garden they built; writing poetry and stories; furthering her walk with God. Genie was someone who learned everything from history to politics by her own devices, and who always wanted to travel, but had to experience the world from the comfort of her own home. Genie could always find beauty in the smallest, simplest things, and showed kindness to anyone she could, even when there was little to give or to be thankful for. Genie was a light to many, and will be dearly missed.

Genie is preceded in death by her father, Navy veteran and longtime Armco employee, James Homer Blankenship. She is survived by: mother, Patricia (Dees) Blankenship, of Monroe; husband, James Johnson, of Middletown, Ohio; daughter, Hayley Hughes, of Den Haag, The Netherlands; sister Diane (Blankenship) Moore, of Middletown; nephew Christopher Moore and great-nephew Aleister Moore, both of Los Angeles; and aunt Norma (Dees) Rogers, of Middletown. We invite you to join us in remembering Genie at an informal gathering on Saturday, October 5th from 2-4 PM at the community room at Woodside Cemetery in Middletown. In lieu of flowers, please bring your best memories of Genie.

Funeral Home:
Wilson-Schramm-Spaulding
3805 Roosevelt Blvd.
Middletown, OH
US 45044