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Obituary for Richard Henry Judy

Richard H. Judy, 79, former Director of Miami International Airport, passed away on Monday, June 20, 2011 in Cedar Key, Florida.

Mr. Judy, born in Pennsylvania, was a longtime resident of Miami. He graduated from the University of Miami in 1953, served in the United States Naval Reserves, and attended the University Of Miami School Of Law.

Mr. Judy had a long career of public service. He was Comptroller for the Dade County Port Authority and Comptroller to the State of Florida Department of Transportation before becoming the Deputy Director, then Director of the Dade County Aviation Department where he served for 22 years.

Anyone who knew Mr. Judy knows that he loved his work at the airport so much that he never considered it a job but a privilege given to him by the citizens of Dade County. He and his team were responsible for much of the growth and development that made the Miami International Airport into the internationally acclaimed facility that it is today.

He retired in 1989 and became a consultant in the airline industry. He was hired as Consultant to the CEO of the new Hong Kong Airport in 1994 where he once again was able to do his favorite thing - help build a state of the art airport facility.

During his career, Mr. Judy served on many boards and committees. He was Chairman Elect of the Airport Operators Council International, a member of the Anthony Commission on Public Finance, a Trustee of Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, a Trustee of the Beacon Council, and Chairman of the Public Facilities Council, National Academy of Sciences, to name a few.

Mr. Judy also received numerous awards such as the Wright Memorial Award, Bill Pallot Award, and the Public Official of the Year award.

Mr. Judy is survived by his loving wife, Sonya R. Judy, his two daughters, Dace J. Ashcraft and Jolie J. Davis, his sister Sarah (Sally) Bass, five grandchildren, Alexandra, Caroline, Carter, Lauren and Sarah, a niece and many nephews. Mr. Judy loved his family and friends, and was dedicated to a life of public service. He was a devoted fan of the Hurricanes and the Dolphins, and during his prime loved to play any competitive sport. But, near the top of all these things was his love of building airports.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, June 25, at the Cedar Key United Methodist Church in Cedar Key, Florida.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the local FFA Chapter in Cedar Key. Mr. Judy strongly believed in organizations that helped give young people the tools and opportunity to succeed in education and life. Please contact Drummond Community Bank at 352-543-5450 for donations.

Arrangements are under the care of Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services, 1301 N. Young Blvd., Chiefland, FL 32626, 352-493-0050. On line condolences may be sent through our website at http://www.hiers-baxley.com

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From the Miami Herald on June 20, 2011:

DICK JUDY, POWERFUL FORMER HEAD OF MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, DEAD AT 79

Despite conflict with Miami-Dade commissioners, Dick Judy presided over MIA’s rise into the top ranks of airports worldwide.

BY ELINOR J. BRECHER EBRECHER@MIAMIHERALD.COM

Richard H. “Dick’’ Judy, the strong-willed, controversial administrator who ran Miami International Airport during nearly two decades of explosive and profitable growth, died Monday at a Cedar Key hospice.

Daughter Jolie Davis said he suffered from a brain disorder.

A coal miner’s son born Oct. 16, 1931, in Heilwood, Pa., Judy was 79. He and Sonya Rogers Judy, a former flight attendant and his wife of 51 years, had been living in Cedar Key, a small town on Florida’s west coast, since 1993.

“More than anything,’’ his daughter said, Dick Judy “loved building airports. He wasn’t limited by convention, and he had a vision and could see beyond what most of us could ... I’ve never met anyone who loved what he did more than my father. If he hadn’t gotten sick, he never would have stopped working.’’

Fiercely independent, Judy rose from deputy Port Authority director to head the old Dade County Port Authority in 1971. He had big plans for the existing airport and even bigger plans for what was to be a futuristic regional jetport in the Everglades on the Collier County line — a project ultimately undone by environmental concerns.

Singularly focused on aviation development in South Florida, Judy sometimes tangled with the county commission over budgets, contracts and the hiring of consultants, and resigned in 1989 after one such conflict boiled over into calls for an investigation.

A Miami Herald editorial days after Judy’s resignation said: “Under Mr. Judy’s directorship, Miami International Airport has come of age as an international facility worthy of much praise. His innovations are imitated at other airports. He knew a good deal when he saw one, and he kept the department in the black with savvy techniques such as short-term contracts with airlines and concessionaires -- a wise call in the era of deregulation.’’

The editorial also noted that Judy “always maintained that his can-do management style didn’t leave much room for the niceties of process [and] one reason for [his] success was his ability to take the initiative without too much regard for the formalities of public officialdom.’’

At the time, the acting executive director of the Airport Operators Council International in Washington called Judy’s departure “devastating’’ in an Orlando newspaper interview.

“Richard Judy is recognized around the world as one the finest airport directors in the world. He was a genius and pioneer, the founding father of so much in our field,’’ including using revenue bonds for airport expansion, she said.

Judy “wanted to be king of the airport, and to a large degree he was,’’ said Murray Greenberg, who, as first assistant county attorney in the ‘80s, advised Judy on the legality of deals he wanted to make — advice Judy sometimes ignored.

“Dick was an excellent businessman and manager,’’ Greenberg said. “He was dedicated to making the airport the best it could be. That was his motivation. But to do it, he would do it his way. He never liked being told ‘no.’ But if you happened to agree with him, he was very easy to work with.’’

For many years, “he got his way, because for whatever reason, the commission let him do it his way,’’ Greenberg added, and during his tenure, “the airport got more airlines, more gates, more international flights. He was forever trying to get another foreign airline to come in.’’

He also strongly promoted independent air cargo carriers.

Among his signature accomplishments: the American Airlines hub at MIA, which propelled MIA into the ranks of the world’s major airports.

In 1979, American had two ticket counters and a single gate. Judy steered American into Eastern Airlines’ Concourse D, and just weeks after he resigned, the county commission approved a $27 million American mini-hub deal with 12 gates and new ticket counters.

Another major project: Concourse H, which he planned as an $8 million structure in 1986. After years of construction delays and cost overruns, it opened after Judy left, with a $46 million price tag.

Judy “worked night and day,’’ said former County Manager Merrett Stierheim. “You had a 50-year-old airport and we were trying to build a modern airport on top of it. There were always complainers’’ about how Judy operated, but “he was very successful. He was creative in his finances and innovations.’’

His final showdown with the commission — specifically Commissioner Joe Gersten—involved allegations of sweetheart deals and misused airport funds.

He spent $300,000 to study the possibility of building an auto racetrack at Opa-locka Airport, without seeking commission approval.

After he left the county, Judy went on to oversee the construction of Hong Kong’s $16 billion Chek Lap Kok Airport in the ‘90s, and consulted on the redevelopment of Homestead Air Force Base.

Judy graduated from the University of Miami in 1953 with a business/finance/accounting degree, according to daughter Jolie, a Cedar Key lawyer. He served in the Naval Reserves and left UM’s law school just a few credits short of a degree, she said.

He served as comptroller for the Dade County Port Authority, and the Florida Department of Transportation before becoming the deputy director, then director of the county aviation department.

“Anyone who knew [him] knows that he loved his work at the airport so much that he never considered it a job, but a privilege given to him by the citizens of Dade County,’’ his daughter said in an email.

Judy also was a supporter of the arts, a one-time Boy Scout leader, and a trustee of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and the Beacon Council.

In addition to his wife and daughter Jolie, Judy is survived by daughter Dace J. Ashcraft, a Darien, Ct., teacher, sister Sarah (Sally) Bass of Atlanta, and five grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Cedar Key United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Future Farmers of America Cedar Key chapter. For more information, call Drummond Community Bank, 352-543-5450.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/22/v-fullstory/2279791/dick-judy-powerful-former-head.html#ixzz1QJfQY1zx

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From the Cedar Key Beacon:

Friday, June 24, 2011 at 5:27 pm

Richard H. Judy funeral service on Saturday

Richard H. Judy, 79, died Monday, June 20, 2011, in Cedar Key.

Mr. Judy, born in Penn., was a longtime resident of Miami. He graduated from the University of Miami in 1953, served in the United States Naval Reserves and attended the University Of Miami School Of Law.

He was comptroller for the Dade County Port Authority and the State of Florida Department of Transportation, before becoming the Deputy Director, then Director of the Dade County Aviation Department. He retired in 1989 and became a consultant in the airline industry. During his career, Mr. Judy served on many boards and committees and received numerous awards and he was a devoted fan of the Hurricanes and the Dolphins.

Mr. Judy is survived by his wife, Sonya R. Judy; daughters, Dace J. Ashcraft and Jolie J. Davis; sister, Sarah (Sally) Bass; five grandchildren, Alexandra, Caroline, Carter, Lauren and Sarah; a niece and many nephews.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 25, at the Cedar Key United Methodist Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the FFA Chapter at Cedar Key School. Arrangements are under the care of Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services, Chiefland. On line condolences may be sent to hiers-baxley.com.

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