Hugh List

Hugh James List (Jim), of Ross County, passed away recently at his winter home in Palmetto, Fl., just shy of his 68 th birthday. He was born Jan. 2, 1949, in Adams County, the son of Virginia Hill List and Hugh A List. He graduated from Piketon High School in 1967 and not long after joined the Army. He was wounded in the Viet Nam Conflict and received a Purple Heart. An artist and musician, he attended Ohio University for four years with a major in fine arts and an A average in all his painting classes. However, he never passed that pesky art history course he needed to graduate. In the 1970s, he played in local rock bands around Southern Ohio.   He played trumpet in high school, and taught himself to play piano, guitar, drums, violin, organ, harmonica, saxophone and various oddball instruments he collected. For years, he played Taps for graveside military services in Piketon. He loved music and played all his life, practicing every day, but after his 20s, he only played for himself, and family occasionally. As Joni Mitchell sang, "He played real good for free." He worked odd jobs over the years and for a while drove a rural mail route as a substitute. He took excellent care of his mother, but mostly he liked to be alone, filling notebooks with transcribed music and sketchbooks with intricate doodles. One of the greatest joys of his later life was when he got a Macbook and discovered Youtube with all the music in the world at his fingertips. He is survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Ruth and Marvin Jones, of Chillicothe, his nieces, Emily Dixon of Mill Valley Ca. , Brett Runyon-Shadwell and her husband Brent and son Arthur, of Cincinnati, Tess Runyon Elliot and her husband Matt, son Theodore and stepsons Mason and Jaxson, of Phoenix, Az and step niece Katherine Jones of Canal Winchester. A graveside service will be held 2 p.m. Wednesday at Mound Cemetery in Piketon, under the direction of Haller Funeral Home & Crematory. Memorial donations may be made to any music education program or veteran's organization.
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