Hugh was a true gentleman, a fine shipmate and most of all a good friend. He will be missed by all who knew and served with him, and I'm sure he's now swapping sea stories in heaven.
Hugh Joseph Fleming Jr., ROCHESTER, NH , 70, of 45
Eagle Drive, died Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008, at his home.
Born July 30, 1938, in Salem, Mass, he was the son of the late Hugh J. and Mary
E. (Fay) Fleming Sr.
He served 22 years in the U.S. Coast Guard, and he started serving in Salem,
Mass., in 1956 as a member of a Grumman Albatross search and rescue crew. Duty
stations included Kodiak, Alaska, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., and Brooklyn
Air Station, where he retired as a senior chief petty officer. Hugh also flew as
a crew member on a Gulfstream II for the secretary of transportation, and flew
in the HH-52 and HH-3 helicopters as search and rescue crew. He was awarded
numerous commendations throughout his career. After retirement, he settled in
the Seacoast area. As an avid Red Sox fan, he enjoyed seeing them win two World
Series titles.
Members of his family include his wife of 46 years, Linda B. (Hitchings) Fleming
of Rochester; his sons, Michael Fleming and wife, Nancy, of Orford, Thomas
Fleming and wife, Judith, of Stratham, and Kyle Fleming of Salisbury, Md.; his
sister, Susan Fleming of Exeter; his grandchildren, Shaina, Erica, Liam, Connor
and Shannon; his great-niece, Britany Hitchings; six nieces and nephews.
Hugh on the Eiffel Tower circa 1976... He had a real fear of heights so we had to consume a shot of cognac on every level to calm his nerves. The outfit he's wearing is vintage Hughie. As Ron Simons so aptly put it "Hugh was a thousand times bigger on the inside than he was on the outside".
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