John Howard Judd

Dr. John Howard (Jack) Judd, Jr., 70, died peacefully on Saturday, February 3, 2018, from complications related to a traumatic injury sustained in December.  He was surrounded by his family.  A practicing orthopaedic surgeon, he had been attending a continuing medical education conference on total joint replacement in Orlando, Florida, at the time of the injury.

Jack’s family finds hope in the joy of his reunion with Patty, his wife of 36 years, who was called home to Heaven in 2006 following open heart surgery.  No doubt, Jack is finding delight also in his son, John Howard Judd, III, who died in infancy in 1976.

Jack is survived by his daughter Patricia, a law professor, his son John, a physician; his daughter-in-law Jeong, a physician; and four amazing grandchildren.  Other survivors include his sister Joy; his sister-in-law Rebecca; his brother-in-law Jim; and nieces and nephews.

Jack was born on December 30, 1947, to John Howard Judd, Sr., and Corinne Sanders Judd.  He grew up in Nashville, TN, where he graduated from Montgomery Bell Academy, a prestigious preparatory school, in 1965.  He went on to Duke University, from which he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering, magna cum laude, in 1969, inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and an honorary engineering society.

Jack earned his Doctor of Medicine from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 1973 and completed his residency in orthopaedic surgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he was part of the Halsted surgical residency program.  He served as Chief Resident from 1980-81.  Jack also served our country as a flight surgeon in the Air Force, earning the rank of Major.

Jack met Patty during his senior year at Duke and knew right away that she was his life’s love.  He proposed to her on Christmas Eve 1968, and they married in 1970.  It was a partnership that would last a lifetime and would yield a wonderful, close family. 

Jack and Patty moved their young family to Abilene in 1981, where he subsequently served as an orthopaedic surgeon for 25 years.  During that time, he helped thousands of patients regain mobility through his work, which was focused largely on sports medicine, total joint replacement, and arthroscopic surgery.  Jack and Patty were longtime members of St. Paul United Methodist Church.

Jack eventually left Abilene to be closer to his grandchildren, serving at hospitals in Texas, Missouri, and New Mexico. Always “about to retire,” he hesitated over and over, saying that he still had a talent that he could offer to the world.

In his free time, Jack loved to travel.  Recent international destinations include Rome, Israel, South Korea, southern France, China, and Hong Kong.  He enjoyed fly-fishing with his son John, and they spent some time on the river together in August.  He loved watching Duke basketball and SEC football, and taking his grandchildren to baseball games.  He enjoyed walking the sidelines at Friday night football games, serving as a team physician for Cooper High School and Abilene High School during his time in Abilene, and later at the high school and college levels elsewhere.  He spent a great deal of his free time over the past decade simply being Grampa.  He delighted in his grandchildren, and they in him.

The family will receive friends at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Rd. in Abilene, on Friday, February 9, 2018, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Services will follow on Saturday, February 10, 2018, at 2:00 p.m., at St. Paul United Methodist Church, 525 Beech in Abilene.  The family will receive friends starting at 1:00 p.m., at the church.  The Rev. Felicia Hopkins and Dr. Cliff Stewart will officiate. Burial will follow at Elliott-Hamil Garden of Memories Cemetery. 

Pallbearers include Dr. Ernie Anderson, Mr. Gary Casey, Mr. Tom Hawkins, Mr. James Kendrick, Jr., Mr. Wayne Lybarger, and Dr. Daniel Vaughan.

Those who wish to honor Jack may donate in his name to the West Texas Rehabilitation Center, which supports opportunities for recovery regardless of financial means. Contact the center at (325) 793-4900 or at https://westtexasrehab.org.