Obituary - Salt Lake Tribune
1952 ~ 2012 - James Rulon Judd

Beloved son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, and friend, left his mortal life on August 17, 2012. He died in Missoula, MT following the motorcycle credo "Live to Ride and Ride to Live".
Jim, as most know him, was 60 years old and resided in Layton, UT, with his wife of 42 years, Jill Judd. Jim was born on February 18, 1952 in Coalville, UT the fifth of six children to Glen and Lynette Judd.
Jim and Jill, high-school sweethearts, married in Las Vegas, NV on June 13, 1970 and were then sealed in the Manti Temple on July 31, 1974. He has been a loving, wonderful father and grandfather to his soon to be 18 grandchildren. Jim was a giant among his peers, a leader to many and passionate about helping establish workers' rights.
He lived to serve his community, state, and nation. He served as a firefighter for over 20 years, served on the board for Wasatch Peaks Credit Union, was the former President of the Professional Fire Fighters of Utah, President of the Utah AFL-CIO, and vice chairman of the Utah State Democratic Party. Even with all of Jim's vast accomplishments both professionally and civically, he was first and foremost a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, had faith in Jesus Christ and in the promise of eternal life. He will be missed by all but never forgotten.
Jim is survived by his parents, his wife, six children: daughter Jennifer (Jeff) Oostyen , daughter Bridgette (James) Saunders, daughter Stephanie (Mike) Norton, son Sean (Brooke) Judd, son Nicholas (Amber) Judd, daughter Jocelyn Judd (Cody Wallentine) and his siblings: Carol Valdez, Sue Judd, Terry Shaw, Kerry Judd, and Nadine McGarry.
Funeral services will be held on Thursday, August 23, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. at the Bountiful Regional Center, 835 North 400 East, North Salt Lake, UT. An Open House to celebrate Jim's life will be held on Wednesday, August 22, 2012 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Lindquist's Ogden Mortuary, 3408 Washington Blvd., Ogden, Utah. Friends may also visit family Thursday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Bountiful Regional Center.
Interment, Lindquist's Washington Heights Memorial Park, 4500 Washington Blvd.
Thank you all for your outpouring of love and support.
In lieu of flowers, they family has requested you register to vote and vote on Nov. 6.
Send condolences to the family at: www.lindquistmortuary.com

Jim Judd, president of Utah AFL-CIO, remembered as leader, friend, and classmate

By Jasen Lee, Deseret News

Published: Friday, Aug. 17 2012 12:54 p.m. MDT

SALT LAKE CITY — Friends and colleagues are remembering Jim Judd as a “great leader” who labored on behalf of the middle class and working families.

The president of the Utah AFL-CIO died Thursday due to injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident near Missoula, Mont. 

"He was our beloved leader, who has made a difference in the lives of his co-workers and all workers across Utah," read a statement for the Utah AFL-CIO.  “He cared about working men and women, their safety, their health and their wages,” said Utah AFL-CIO vice president Dale Cox.

Judd, 60, was riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle on southbound I-15 Thursday morning when investigators said he drifted out of the left-hand lane into the median. The motorcycle rolled as he attempted to get back onto the roadway, landing in the median. Judd — who was not wearing a helmet — was ejected and was pronounced brain dead at the hospital. He was participating in the International Association of Fire Fighters motorcycle rally, which was being held in Butte, Mont.

"He was our beloved leader, who has made a difference in the lives of his co-workers and all workers across Utah."

Last year, Judd was elected to his second full term as leader of the state’s largest labor union. Judd had been vice president under Ed Mayne — who died of cancer in November 2007 — and served out the remainder of his term before being elected as president outright. He had been a union man for more than 30 years, starting out with the Teamsters in the early 1970s in Las Vegas. In 1977, he joined the Ogden Fire Department and the local chapter of the Professional Fire Fighters of Utah. Two years later, he was elected president of Local 1654. He has served as the organization's state president since 1985.

Judd was also vice chair of the Utah Democratic Party. In that arena, he was also considered an effective leader “who knew how to get things done,” said Anna Thompson, communications director for the Utah Democratic Party. “He was not someone who screams and shouts,” she explained. “He quietly got things done in the background. He was a great negotiator (and) a great mentor who taught a lot of people in our party and the labor movement many things about getting things done.” She said that Judd was a cheerful person with a wry sense of humor, “always with a joke at the ready” and that distinctive mustache.

“We use to have a joke about who’s mustache would win “a grudge match” — Jim’s or (Murray mayor) Dan Snarr’s,” Thompson said with a chuckle.

She said that Judd was always a calming influence even during the most stressful times. She added that his knowledge and confident demeanor were invaluable traits that served him well in both of his high-profile positions. “I always appreciated how calm and capable he was,” she said. Thompson said Judd’s passing will leave a huge void that will be difficult to fill. “We’re going to miss his presence, his experience, his leadership,” she said. “(His loss) is a blow.”

Judd is survived by his wife, Jill, six children and 16 grandchildren.

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