Richard Allen

From the first grade on at Gordon-Bibb Grammar School, Hugh Ogle was the boy the rest of us boys wanted to be. Hugh was the smartest, fastest, strongest, best looking, and most popular boy in our class. In those innocent days, it was acceptable for teachers to pit the boys against the girls in everything from singing to spelling. One day, Mrs. Comer, our second grade teacher, picked the smartest girl, Marion Billions, to compete with the smartest boy, Hugh of course, to see who could count to 100 the fastest. Marion won, but Hugh did not lose at many things. When choosing sides, Hugh was always one of the captains who did the choosing. We all knew without being told to defer to our leader.

I did not attend DHS in the 7th and 9th grades, but when I returned for the 10th, Hugh was still the most popular boy in the class, and the most athletic( I think he lettered 4 years in both football and basketball, and maybe in track.), but the arc of his life seemed to have shifted. He appeared to be much less interested in academics and much more interested in girls, and maybe beer. In Chemistry class one day, the stern John Teague asked Hugh "If I told you to go to the lab and make some sodium chloride, what would you take with you?" Without hesitation Hugh answered "Richard." Even Mr. Teague had to laugh at that one, but for me, coming from Hugh, it was a side ways compliment that I never forgot.

  As a senior, as the quarterback, Hugh led the Red Raiders to the TVC football championship, and who can forget his electrifying 70 yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Hartselle. We were all happy and excited when "Bear Bryant" offered him a football scholarship to play for Alabama because we knew he would go on to greater glory there.

I do not know much about Hugh's life after DHS. Things did not work out at Alabama as we expected. Hearsay has it that Hugh lost interest in football and spent a lot of time playing cards and drinking beer and lost his scholarship, but I do not know for sure. What I do know is that Hugh Ogle as a boy was as good as they come, a friend to all, and a natural born leader with all the skill and brains to have been anything he wanted to be. That is the way I choose to remember him.

Jerry Livingston

We all remember Hugh in different ways.  He was the boy we wanted to be.  I remember in the sixth grade we were having a carnival to raise money for something, the memory is not as good as it was.  Hugh volunteered to participate in a boxing match   and ask for volunteers to box with him.  Well all the other boys were smarter than me because I said I would get in the ring with him.  We were about the same height but he out weighted me by a lot.  We were to box two rounds.  I made it through the first round with no damage to my body.  As we neared the end of round two Hugh hit me square on the nose and it started to bleed.  That stopped the boxing.

The week before graduation Hugh stopped me in the hall and said he wanted to tell me something for a long time.  Because we maybe would not see each other again, and we didn’t. He said because I was the only one to get in the ring with him, he had always had a lot of respect for me.  Even though I didn’t play any sports, he put me up there with the best ones he played with.   

As I said before, I never saw Hugh again and was hoping to see him at Number 60.  What he said has meant a lot to me and always has and will.  Hope that someday I can tell him that.

Sandi Slape (Crane)

I was a latecomer to the class of 59, and also pretty shy. I never really got in on the popular side of things but did make a few good friends. I also had a HUGE crush on Hugh. What girl in that class didn't? But it never went anywhere because of my shyness. He was a great guy and was always nice to me. He was Mr. Decatur High and involved in just about everything. It was great to see him at the 50th, and he was still handsome as ever!  I know he will be greatly missed by his family and friends. RIP Hugh. See you at that BIG reunion one day. 

Gene Yarbrough

I saw Hugh occasionally when we were attending the University of Alabama.  One evening, Carl Still, Hugh, and I went out to a local drive-in theater.  Hugh said he didn't have the price of admission and had Carl put him in the trunk of Carl's car.  For a time after we got into the car, we "forgot" to let Hugh out of the trunk.  When we finally did, he was not a happy camper!  Another time, Carl and I were going home for the weekend, and Hugh asked us to drop by the home of a Hartselle girl and retrieve his class ring.  He had recently broken up with the girl, but didn't want to face her.  For a nominal fee (a dollar, as I recall), I got his ring back.

Eddie Tiller

Hugh and I started in first grade together as I did with many of you.  We became good friends that continued through high school and played many sports together.  One of my highlights was when coach Ogle took some of us including Hugh to Auburn to see the 1958 National champs play Kentucky.  We got to meet "Shug" Jordan and got sideline passes to the game.  One time when I was visiting Coach and Hugh at his home, Mrs Ogle told me a story I will never forget.  It seems that Hugh came home after our first days at Gordon Bibb and told his mother he had met a new friend and his name was Eddie Tiller Wheat.  To this day I never figured where the Wheat came from.  We had a good laugh.  Mrs. Ogle became a good friend also.  I know that Hugh's family will miss him as much as we all will in the years to come.  Thanks Hugh for the memories!!  Et

Bob Thomas

The football team took many trips by bus to away games. I remember an occurance on one of the trips. I was sitting near the middle of the bus when it decended a steep grade. I noticed a bunch of coins rolling down the isle. I went to the back of the bus and found out where the coins were coming from. I learned that Hugh and others were playing poker on the bus. Hugh loved cards so well that he carried a deck with him at all times. We all knew that Hugh was the reason that we won as many games as we did.