Sea creatures they have met; come join Hugh and Charlie Hudson as they show and discuss the thriving marine life on the Key Largo reefs. The underwater world is home to a wide array of life from odd-shaped animals to toothy ones. Come enjoy some great photos and learn why you can’t find “Nemo” nearby.

Never dived but always wondered what it is like? The husband and wife team of Hugh and “Charlie” Hudson will discuss their South Florida diving experiences Monday January 11, 2015 This will be held Miami-Dade College, Room F222, Homestead Campus. This free lecture will begin at 12:00 and conclude around 1:00 pm.

When Hugh and Charlie Hudson retired from careers in the Army, they had a choice of where to live. His original plan for his future included fulfilling his initial commitment to the Army, not the almost thirty years he served. He moved through increasingly responsible command and staff positions in both the United States and overseas. He deployed to Desert Shield and Desert Storm and after commanding a battalion in Hawaii, he was assigned to the Pentagon. He was promoted to Colonel, took command of a brigade, and held two more assignments prior to retirement. He attended numerous military schools as he rose in seniority and holds two masters degrees. While in Hawaii, his early love of scuba diving was re-ignited and rather than take the corporate track after retirement as did many of his peers, his pursued his passion for the ocean and became a master scuba instructor. He later added underwater photography to his skills, although rather than being an “underwater photographer”, he refers to himself as a “diver who takes photographs”.

Charlie, originally from Louisiana, entered the Army through a different path since women were not allowed in ROTC at the time. She received a direct commission and by virtue of the timeframe she was in service, she held a number of positions that had never been held by a female. She laughingly refers to herself as “an inadvertent pioneer”. She, too, held a variety of command and staff positions and she and Hugh met and married when they were assigned to Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland. She also was deployed to Desert Shield/Desert Storm. In her final assignment as a lieutenant colonel, she finished her twenty-two years with a short tour in Haiti during Operation Uphold Democracy. It was during their time in Hawaii that Hugh introduced her to the world of scuba. After her retirement, she has balanced working in the defense services sector with freelance writing.

It was their shared enjoyment of scuba that led them to relocate here in late 2004. Hugh is an independent instructor and has completed more than 3,000 dives. Charlie dives for fun and focuses on her writing. They love the robust marine life of the Key Largo reefs and have been diving in the Caribbean, the Pacific, and the Coral Sea.

A simple lunch is available for $10.00 by calling Barbara at 305-230-9185. There is excellent handicapped access. Ample parking is available.

The lecture series is named for the late Bea Peskoe, a tireless advocate for education, culture and justice.

Written by Bob Jensen