Hughes Cauffman, Philly architect and 1948 Olympian

D. Hughes Cauffman, 99, of Newtown Square, a Philadelphia architect and former Olympic field hockey competitor, died Tuesday, Sept. 27, of congestive heart failure at Dunwoody Village.

Known for being an extrovert, he lived life "with great good humor, dignity, and a sense of fun," his family said.

He began his career as a draftsman in 1947, and in 1952 became chief designer with the Philadelphia architectural firm of George M. Ewing Co.

In 1954, he and University of Pennsylvania classmates James B. Francis and George O. Wilkinson founded Francis Cauffman Wilkinson Architects. A year later, they merged with another firm to become Francis Cauffman Wilkinson & Pepper Architects.

Mr. Cauffman was its chief of design. "The firm was formed with the intent to do projects with social principles - they saw architecture as a catalyst for well-being," his family wrote in a tribute.

Among the buildings Mr. Cauffman designed was the Chapel at St. Joseph's University.

Born to Ethel Muller and George Cauffman in a house on Spruce Street, Mr. Cauffman played in Rittenhouse Square as a boy.

He graduated from Episcopal Academy in 1934 and from the University of Pennsylvania in 1940 with a degree in architecture.

At Episcopal, Mr. Cauffman excelled at football, wrestling, and track. He was a record-setting hurdler at the Penn Relays. In 2006, Mr. Cauffman was inducted into Episcopal's Athletic Hall of Fame.

At Penn, Mr. Cauffman set a record for the 120-yard high hurdles. In 1935, he tried out for the Summer Olympics in field hockey and track. In 1948, he finally made the men's field hockey team for the games in London.

"Just this past Olympics, Hughes proudly wore his 1948 Olympic blazer nightly to dinner for the duration of those Games," his family wrote. The blazer was navy blue.

Mr. Cauffman was a lifelong beagler, following on foot most Sunday afternoons while the scent hounds tracked hare.

He loved fly fishing for trout and salmon in Nova Scotia, where the family bought a summer cottage. Working in oil paints and later, watercolors, he painted his favorite outdoor scenes near the cottage. Some of his works were on display at the Episcopal alumni weekend in 2015.

Mr. Cauffman married Josephine Vincent Heyward, known as "Dodie," in 1951. The couple had four children. She died in 2009.

He is survived by children Josephine de Rosset Heyward, George Cuthbert Heyward V, and Elizabeth Cauffman Leighton; eight grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and 12 nieces and nephews. A daughter, Frances, died in 2013.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 4, in the chapel at St. David's Episcopal Church, 763 S. Valley Forge Rd., Wayne. Burial is private.

Contributions may be made to the Episcopal Academy Advancement Office, 1785 Bishop White Dr., Newtown Square, Pa. 19073.

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