SUNSET BEACH — Dr. Christopher Vincent Hughes, 68, of Sunset Beach, NC passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, February 25, 2025 in the McLeod Seacoast Hospital.
Chris was born in Boston, MA on January 30, 1957, and was a son of the late Jay W. Hughes, Sr., and Marie I. (Nuzzo) Hughes. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister, Judith A. Hughes Zuccarini in 2023.
Chris had a lifelong love of learning. After graduating from Medfield High School (MA) in 1974, he earned his B.A. from Colby College in 1978. He received his D.M.D. at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in 1982, and went on to complete a general practice residency at the Medical College of Ohio in 1983, and a pediatric dental residency (Assistant Clinical Professor) at Case Western Reserve University, Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in 1985.
He was then selected for a clinical staff fellowship in the Patient Care and Clinical Investigations Branch of the National Institute of Dental Research at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. While there, he was awarded a National Research Service Award to complete a postdoctoral fellowship in the Laboratory of Microbial Ecology, earning his Ph.D. in microbiology from Georgetown University in 1991.
More than learning itself, Chris loved sharing his knowledge with others. Over the course of his career he had the opportunity to mentor over 200 young dentists, remaining close friends with many of them throughout his life. He was an assistant professor of pediatric dentistry and oral microbiology at the Indiana University School of Dentistry,1990-1993; chair of pediatric dentistry, associate professor, and professor of pediatric dentistry at the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, and attending staff member at Boston Medical Center as well as Franciscan Children’s Hospital, 1993-2013; professor and chair of Pediatric Dentistry at Rutgers University School of Dental Medicine, 2013-2017; professor and chair of Pediatric Dentistry at the School of Dentistry, University of Mississippi Medical Center, from 2017 until his retirement in 2021.
Chris was certified by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and was a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Pediatric Dentistry of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. He had a wide variety of professional interests, serving as president of the Massachusetts Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, authoring numerous publications, and presenting nationally and internationally on various dental and scientific topics. He was a founding Board member of Global Smile Foundation, participating as a team member on at least twelve missions to serve children in many countries of Central America, South America, and Africa.
Although he was highly accomplished in his career, family was everything to him. He had a love of travel, completing the 50 states in 2023, and was well on his way to his goal of 50 countries. He was a brilliant man who loved all genres of music, reading, crossword puzzles, his cats and dogs, martinis on the piazza, and a good one liner. He will be missed by so many.
Surviving are his loving wife of 40 years, Dorothy S. Hughes; son Jonathan Scofield Hughes; daughter Claire Marie Hughes; brother Stephen Hughes, twin brother Jay Hughes (Sandra); brother-in-law, William Zuccarini; nieces and nephews: Kelly Hughes, Tim Hughes (Lyndsi), Brendan Hughes (Europa), Justine Hughes Forster (Ben); Kathryn Frengs Hubert (Sebastien), Meredith Frengs Wales (Aris), Peter Frengs, and their children.
Memorial Services will be conducted at 10:30 AM, on Friday, March 14, 2025 in the Brunswick Memorial Gardens Mausoleum, Shallotte, NC.
Online condolences are encouraged and may be sent here.
