HOUSTON - Things are quiet at a vacant West University home on Sewanee Street at the corner of the block and that's just how Jim Hughes liked it.
Hughes never married and did not have children. The man was 89-years-old when he died last year, but before his death, he hired an attorney to draft his will.
“When it came to the point where he asked 'Well, what do I do with the rest of this?' I said, ‘Whatever you want to do, it’s your money,'” said estate attorney, Bernie Hebinck.
It turned out Jim Hughes was a multi-millionaire.
"He was a very good investor; a brilliant investor," Hebinck said. "So his estate grew.”
Hughes was not the most social man. Few people have a photo of him.
The incredibly frugal, Roman Catholic investor carved-out his legacy – leaving behind large sums of money to various local charities.
His parish church, St. Vincent de Paul on Buffalo Speedway received $50,000; the Incarnate Word Convent received $100,000 from him; and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Diocese Galveston-Houston received $500,000.
Hughe's $2 million dollar home was left to the City of West University Place for the construction of a "quiet" park.
He requested that no playground or athletic equipment be on the property, as it was meant to be a place for people to relax and meditate.
In addition to the property for the park, Hughes donated $200,000 for the demolition of the existing home. He asked that the park be named after his mother, Jennie Hughes.
There was still money left over, even after giving millions to his distant relatives (a third cousin received $100,000).
“He said, ‘Well I’ve got a relative who went to the University of St. Thomas.' I said, 'That’s a great idea,'" Hebinck said. "And so he said, ‘OK, let’s do that. Let’s leave the rest to them.’”
Hebinck gets emotional thinking about it.
Not only because he was one of the university’s first graduates, but also because “the rest” turned out to be $7 million dollars.
It’s the largest single donation the University of St. Thomas has ever received.
“I think for me, it’s just an honor to see the generosity that people have," said University of St. Thomas Vice President Cynthia Riley. "Just the impact that people can have in the world.”
The donation will fund students' scholarships. The average tuition for a student at the university is $30,000 per year.