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SALT LAKE CITY — A union and political stalwart in Utah for 40 years, Jim Judd was perhaps best known for getting things done to help the average Joe.
Judd, who died Thursday, Aug. 16 following a motorcycle accident, joined the Ogden Fire Department in 1977, rising to the ranks of Battalion Chief. In addition to his duties there, he served as the President of the Professional Firefighters of Utah for 26 years.
It was 60-year-old Judd's willingness to join the fight for his beliefs which impressed his closest friends.
"When it came to a tough, uphill battle, he would always suit up," said Judd's friend, Wayne Holland. "Run into that building, or run into that race; Or do the kind of thing that a real leader that exemplified courage would do."
Most recently, he served as President for the Utah AFL-CIO.
When it came to a tough, uphill battle, he would always suit up.
–- Wayne Holland, friend
"Right now, we need to help keep this economy moving," Judd said in Dec. 2011, while serving as president of the Utah AFL-CIO. "It's still fragile enough, we want to make certain that, in order for workers to be successful, employers have to be successful."
His eagerness to work for things he believed in would be paramount, but he never lost the soft spot in his heart for firefighting and the causes they fought for.
"We always say that it may be that one dollar that's collected in my boot, that provides the last dollar that they need to provide the research to find a cure," Judd said.
Aside from being a public servant, Judd loved the outdoors — specifically riding Harley Davidsons.
"So he was a guy that could do that: ride a bike down to the capital, put on a suit and tie and just rub elbows with the governor or whoever needed to be talked to about what was right for working families," Holland said.
A servant to his family and the people of Utah, Judd wasn't nearly done campaigning for his beliefs before he died. He was set to attend the Democratic National Convention with Holland next week in Charlotte.
Judd's funeral services were held Thursday. His casket was transported to the cemetery atop a fire truck, which was escorted by a police motorcade.
