Hugh Joseph Dudley, age 97, died peacefully in his sleep today at home in Huntsville to go to his Heavenly eternal home with his Lord.

Mr. Dudley was born in Montgomery and grew up in Pine Apple, Alabama.  There he attended Moore Academy and graduated in 1943. He served in the Pacific during WWII in the Navy Seabees. Mr. Dudley graduated from Auburn University in 1949 with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He was a member of Kappa Alpha Fraternity.

After graduation Mr. Dudley went to work for Carter Oil Company in Ruston, LA.  During this time he pursued one of his dreams of getting his
pilot's license.  The following year he moved to Biloxi, MS where he worked for the Air Force as a radar instructor. He met and married Bobby LaGrone, formally of Okolona, MS. who was a high school math teacher.  They moved to Mobile, AL where he worked for Brookley Air Force Base.

In 1953 Mr. Dudley moved his family to Huntsville to work at Redstone Arsenal for the US Army. He was a Project Engineer for anti-aircraft rocket fusing, and a number of surface to surface rocket systems. In 1961 he transferred to the Marshall Space Flight Center where he coordinated research with other Marshall centers. He served on the Space Sciences Laboratory staff for a period before accepting a position in Advanced Development where he worked until retirement in 1980.

At this time, Mr. Dudley accepted a consulting position with the City of Huntsville for the restoration of the Huntsville Depot.  Mr. Dudley was
considered one of the leading historians in the country on railroad history.  One of his earlier projects was to coordinate the Southern Railway steam train excursions between the Huntsville Depot and Chattanooga.  He was a devoted member of the North Alabama Railroad Museum. He served in many positions but especially enjoyed being Historian and working on the displays enjoyed by the children and teachers who participated in the club's educational school train rides.  In 2013 he was honored by the museum by the naming of the Hugh Dudley Railroad History Center.  In 2018 he received recognition for over 50 years of service by the North Alabama Railroad Museum.  He was also very grateful for the awards he received from the City of Huntsville and the Daughters of the American Revolution for his many years of community service.  Mr. Dudley was a life member of the Seabee Historical Foundation, a charter member of both the WWII Museum in New Orleans and the WWII Memorial in Washington D.C. .

Mr Dudley was preceded in death by his mother, Mrs. Frances Donald Dudley Grimes, father, Mr. Hugh Joseph Dudley, Sr., who was killed in an
automobile accident when Hugh was only a year old, "Daddy Harold," Mr. Harold Watts Grimes, Sr., and Mrs. Bobby LaGrone Dudley, wife of 58 years.

He is survived by his two daughters and son-in-law; Terry Dudley Lott, Drs. Robbin Dudley Klemm and Mike Klemm, three grandsons; Dudley Lott, Chandler Klemm and Riley Klemm, brother, Harold (Hal) Grimes, and beloved friend, BenAlice Buchholz. He will be missed greatly by his
constant companion, Katie-dog Ill, his Cairn Terrier.

Mr. Dudley had a great love for people. He had a keen sense of humor accompanied by a great gift for writing and story telling. He enjoyed photography, woodworking, big band music, reading, history, travel, and spending time with family and friends. He especially enjoyed "walking the land" on the Dudley Tree Farm in south Alabama.

Mr. Dudley was a member of Whitesburg Baptist Church for the past 55 years. His family is thankful for all that the church did during his extended illness and very grateful for all of his friends' prayers and support during this time. We especially would like to thank Dad's caregivers for their service, kindness and friendship during the past years.

Mr. Dudley will be privately laid to rest in Pine Apple, Alabama at Mt. Moriah Fellowship Baptist Church Cemetery alongside his wife and other family members. A memorial service will be held at a later date. The family is grateful for the many kind acts and words of sympathy that they have received. "Bless be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love."

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be given to the Alabama Baptist Children's Home; 1404 16th Ave. SE; Decatur, AL 35601.