John Christopher Judd
John Christopher Judd of Frederick, Maryland, succumbed to mesothelioma, a cancer associated with asbestos, on February 5, 2015. He died at home.
He will be remembered by the many he helped with his kindness, philanthropy and civic efforts.
He was born in Norfolk, Virginia, October 14, 1941, to Jim and Cherry Judd, both of whom were artists. Chris did not inherit the talent but did have a great love for art and theater; he was a true Renaissance man. He also had a great interest in other cultures, learning several languages.
He moved about for the first several years of his life then settled in Cleveland, Ohio, with his family. At a young age he engaged in entrepreneurial enterprises: paper routes, mowing lawns, cleaning windows, and raising snakes. At 15, he moved to Denver, Colorado, to live with his father and stepmother, Sally, and to graduate from high school. He was a champion backstroker and won the 100 yard race in the 1959 Colorado/Wyoming state regional championship. Climbing the Rockies, collecting rocks and minerals and skiing were important activities for that part of his life. In 1959, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and attended boot camp in San Diego, California, where he became an electronics communications technician; later, he took advanced courses which enabled him to become a nuclear reactor operator. He was picked up for the Naval Academy, attended the Academy’s preparatory school in Bainbridge, Maryland, and then went to Annapolis, graduating in June 1965. At that same time, he married Carolyn White in a military wedding in Huntersville, North Carolina. He served another five years in submarine service living in Saratoga Springs, New York, Havre de Grace, Maryland, and New London, Connecticut. He served as an engineering officer on the USS Patrick Henry and the USS Flying Fish. While on the Patrick Henry, he was deployed out of Holy Loch, Scotland and New London. Many good and abiding friendships were forged in these years. Jennifer, the eldest of his three children, was born in New London. Leaving the Navy in 1970, he took a nuclear engineering position with Stone and Webster in Boston, Massachusetts, for a two-year period. His second child, Jason Christopher, was born during that time. He then joined Bechtel in Gaithersburg, Maryland, in 1972. His third child, Michael Taylor, was born in 1973 in Frederick where the family has resided since (with three intervening moves to England). At Bechtel, Chris served in many capacities, rising to chief nuclear engineer and then to senior management roles before retiring in 2004. Two of the most challenging jobs were helping to lead Bechtel’s response to the accident at Three Mile Island in 1979 and leading a team of engineers from around the world in the cleanup at Chernobyl, Ukraine, living there for 12 months. During the years in England, Chris frequented the pubs and took up darts, an enjoyment he kept up in Frederick. He also enjoyed his poker group where he won and lost, but probably broke even. Upon retirement in 2004, Chris began working with the children at Lincoln Elementary School, spending eight years assisting in the third grade until he was ‘demoted’ to the second. At Lincoln, he was involved in setting up The Running Club, The Reading Club, The Butterfly Garden, and the Parents’ Library. This work was organized via the Rotary Club of Carroll Creek where Chris was a Paul Harris fellow. Also through Rotary, he was project manager for the renovation of the Baker Park band shell. A bench there recognizes his efforts. Chris was a master gardener and became involved with raising worms for composting and went to elementary schools to demonstrate how effective they can be in aerating soil. The children enjoyed his enthusiasm and dedication. He was also a longtime supporter of the improvements to Waterford Park. He was an opponent of the proposed Frederick County incinerator; he attended public meetings and actively campaigned against it; he lived to see it defeated. He was active in the Democratic Party in Frederick County, campaigning for various local and state candidates.
He supported international foundations including Oxfam and Doctors Without Borders, and was personally involved in supporting Project Bona Fide in Nicaragua and Cambodia Reads in Kampong Cham Province, Cambodia. He enjoyed and contributed to NPR and PBS. He is revered by many friends and relatives. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Carolyn, and his three children: Jennifer, her husband Doug, and their three children Isabella, Kai and Nicky; Jason, his wife Pouv, and their two children Mehta and Ruby; and Michael, his wife Ashley, and their son Wyatt. He welcomed each grandchild and enjoyed his time with them.
He is survived by his mother Cherry Dottore of Homewood and his sister Cathy Dottore of Cleveland.
He is predeceased by his brother Michael Barry Judd who was a casualty of the Vietnam War in 1967.
Interment will be at the cemetery on the family property; it will take place on Saturday, Feb. 7 with the family in attendance.
A memorial service will be held at Brook Hill United Methodist in Yellow Springs on Indian Springs Road on Saturday, February 14 at 4 p.m. with the Rev. Barbara Daniel and the Rev. Gary Hicks officiating. Please bring your anecdote about Chris to share at that time. Following that service, a fellowship meal will be held at the church.
In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution in Chris’s name to the Rotary Club of Carroll Creek Pass Through Fund in care of the Community Foundation of Frederick County, 312 E. Church St., Frederick, MD 21701.
