Jerry Judd

Jerry Allyn Judd was born in the copper mining town of Bisbee, Arizona on June 10, 1941 to Earl Jerome and Frances Louise Gibson Judd, the first of nine children born to them. At an early age the family moved to El Paso, Texas where Jerry learned to love the desert and developed his lifelong passion for rock collecting. He also learned the art of hunting rabbits and was often called upon to shoot a few rabbits for the family dinner. As he grew older, his uncles would take him on their deer hunting trips. Jerry’s father often spoke of Jerry as being born 100 years too late. Jerry agreed with him. He loved the rough life of hunting and camping in the great outdoors.

Always looking for ways to earn money, he began selling greeting cards at the age of 6. A few years later, an uncle took him to a roof top in town where they caught wild pigeons and Jerry began raising the birds to sell to neighbors and often would supplement the rabbits with a couple of pigeons.

Jerry attended his freshman year of high school at El Paso High in 1957. The family moved to Fallon (near Petaluma), California the next year where Jerry attended Tomales High School. They moved again the following year to San Jose, California where Jerry graduated from Fremont High School in Sunnyvale. It was these years at Fremont High that Jerry made friendships that would last his entire life.

His dream of serving the Lord came true in 1960 when he was called to serve a mission in the Brazil Mission which included all of Brazil. He served under President Grant Bangerter until April of 1963 when he was ordered to go home, much to Jerry’s dismay. He loved being a missionary and teaching the gospel. He developed a deep and lasting love for Brazil and the Brazilian people. President Bangerter and his family became his second family.

He attended San Jose State University for a year, majoring in Chemistry. Being patriotic by nature, he felt it his duty to join the Army. He loved the army life. For the first time he was given a complete wardrobe of new clothes and all the food he could eat.

He attended BYU for a year, majoring in finances. He then moved to Salt Lake where he worked full time and continued his education at night.

In 1969 he married Linda Holtry. They had five children, Allyn Judd, Glenn Judd (Kim), Johnn Judd (Sharon), Joann Rowley (Mark), and Dyann Bachman, and 22 grandchildren.

After working for several years in Salt Lake City, Jerry was offered a position as bank manager in San Jose, California. He eventually accepted an offer as manager of the credit card division in the Corporate Offices of Bank of America in San Francisco. With the illness of his wife and feeling a need to be at home more, he left BofA and branched out into marketing and sales. In the 1980’s he opened his own business selling supplies to medical offices, becoming one of the top salesmen for his suppliers. He officially closed his business in 2021.

In 1993, Jerry moved his family to Springville, Utah. Linda passed away in 1998 after a long illness.  In 2006, he married Joan Johnson Melim. Jerry once told a friend that as long as he was changing Joan’s last name, he was going to change her first name as well. He called her ‘Joy’ for the joy she brought into his life. In 2019, they decided to move to warmer climates and lower elevation and headed south to Phoenix. After two years of searching, they finally found their dream home in St., George, Utah.

Jerry’s greatest joy came from working in the temple. Accepting an assignment to work in the Provo baptistry for 6 months, he faithfully served for 13 years until the new Provo City Center Temple was dedicated and he again worked in the baptistry for 5 years until his move south.

Graveside services will be held Friday January 28, 2022 at 3:30pm in the Provo City Cemetery.  A viewing will be held Friday from 1:30 to 3:00 pm at the Springville Hobble Creek 8th Ward (2379 East 1100 South) prior to the service.