Losing weight would almost certainly help control his diabetes, and might even make him non-diabetic. I have had several patients who were able to lose substantial amounts of weight and became non-diabetic, by all the usual measures we use. Weight loss is notoriously difficult, however, so I think your husband needs specific help with a diet designed to produce slow weight loss, and simultaneously minimize the severity of the diabetes. You need to be involved and helpful, since I assume you eat most meals together. A gently graduated exercise program, involving aerobic exercise, not weight lifting, will help with the weight loss.
Exercise also helps to directly reduce the blood sugar.
You might want to post questions to Thrive's eats and shape sites for more specific advice on diet and exercise. If your husband's doctor has not suggested frequent blood-sugar measurements at home, you might want to ask about the HgbA1C test. Your husband needs to try to duplicate that state in our modern world by reducing his food intake and increasing his aerobic exercise. For more information on diabetes, check out Thrive's diabetes program. This is one doctor who makes housecalls.