J. Wilson Hughes, 90, Aura farmer and civic leader

J. Wilson Hughes, 90, of Aura, a longtime farmer and agriculture advocate who served his community as a firefighter, deputy mayor, and school board member, died after a stroke on Friday, July 30, at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Voorhees.

Mr. Hughes, who was born in Hardingville and was a lifelong resident of the rural town of Aura, grew up helping his father on the family farm and sometimes went with him on weekends to the Dock Street markets in Philadelphia to sell their produce. But he did not want to be a farmer.

At 14, he joined the Aura Fire Company, and while in high school he decided he wanted to be an engineer.

After graduating from Glassboro High School in 1937, Mr. Hughes took post-graduate engineering courses at the high school for about a year. But the failing economy during the Depression forced him back to farming, his family said.

He looked into other jobs in agriculture, but farming grew on him, and by the time he married Mildred Shaw in 1942, he was ready to start his own business. That year he bought 33 acres about two miles down the road from where he grew up on Whig Lane Road.

He started his farm with mostly asparagus and a few other vegetables. A few years later, he switched to peaches.

By the time he sold his farm, Broad Acres, in the 1990s, he had acquired 780 acres, of which 600 were peaches and 75 were apples, his son Jay Wilson Jr. said.

Throughout the years, Mr. Hughes was involved in many civic leadership roles.

He started as an Elk Township school board member in 1955 and was on the founding board at Delsea Regional High School, which opened in 1960. He served on the Delsea board for 18 years.

An avid reader of current events and politics his whole life, Mr. Hughes decided to get into politics in the mid-1970s, his family said. He served on the Elk Township Council as deputy mayor and was on various committees, including finance, roads, and public safety during his three-year term.

Several years later, he joined the Municipal Utilities Authority. He retired from civic life in 1998.

Even with his political involvements, Mr. Hughes kept up with the farming industry and served on various boards related to that.

"He wanted to serve the community and better the community," his daughter, Susan Hansen, said.

With his experience in farming and the packing and shipping operation of his farm, Mr. Hughes also served on some state councils, including the South Jersey Food Distribution Authority, where he was the only farmer.

After a few bad seasons, Mr. Hughes decided to sell his farm in 1998, his son said. He retained five acres, which included his home.

In addition to his son and daughter, Mr. Hughes is survived by son Richard; seven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and a sister and brother. His wife died in 2003.

Friends may visit the family from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 6, at the Kelley Funeral Home, 125 Pitman Ave. in Pitman.

Interment will be in Manahath Cemetery in Glassboro.