Hugh Marshall McCall, 80, of Maryville, Tennessee, passed away peacefully at his home on August 14,2025. Born on February 20,1945, in Maryville, Hugh was a proud East Tennessee native and a member of Everett High School’s class of 1963. He lived his life marked by service, adventure, and unyielding commitment to his family and friends. Hugh proudly served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Ozbourn (DD-846) during Vietnam War, a period that allowed him to travel the world. Following his military service, he embarked on a long and distinguished career with Bell Communications, which later became AT&T. His career took him and the love of his life, Betty, to Salt Lake City, Utah, where they lived for 18 years. Despite their time away, Hugh was adamant that his daughter, Alicia, return to Tennessee for her senior year of high school, famously saying he wanted her to marry a “Tennessee boy.” He later retired and returned to his beloved East Tennessee to build his dream home.
An avid outdoorsman, Hugh loved to hunt, fish, and camp. While in Utah, he developed a passion for rock hunting, finding geodes and fossils that he could cut and polish to share with friends. Back in Tennessee, he found joy in gardening, working on cars, and searching for Indian artifacts. A man who could never sit still, Hugh’s true passion was helping others. He was known for his quiet kindness and generosity, often showing up to lend a hand before anyone even had a chance to ask. His big heart and mischievous giggle will be remembered by all who knew him. He was a jokester who would always say, “Glad you got to see me.”
Hugh was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Reba McCall, and his wife of 43 years, Betty (Self) McCall, whom he eloped with in February 1974 in North Carolina.
He is survived by his loving daughter, Alicia (David) Crabtree; his two granddaughters, Ashley (Adrian) Woodall and Makenzie Crabtree (Logan Morton), who were the light of his life; his sisters, Sue Ann Lewis and Kay Hanshaw; niece and nephew, Tommy (Summer) Lewis and Brittany Hanshaw; and special friends Jeff and Dianne Colvin and Daniell (Tyler) Young.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the family home on Sunday, August 24th, at 1:30pm. Please contact the family for details.
In lieu of flowers, the family request that donations be made in Hugh’s memory to the Louisville Christian Assistance Center, P.O. Box 354, Louisville, TN. 37777