Joseph Judge
May 17, 1953 - August 15, 2023

Joseph Edward Judge passed away on Tuesday, August 15th, at home in Bennett Valley, with his family by his side. Joe was a gentleman, a farmer, and a cowboy, but most of all he was a family man. He loved his wife, his two children, his parents, his seven siblings, and his large extended family.

Kind eyes and a warm smile greeted everyone who met Joe. He had a joyous curiosity about the world around him and made friends everywhere he went. Joe loved to share his knowledge about farming, finance, wine, cars, love, and just about everything that came to mind.

Born to Robert and Mary Lou in 1953 in Brockton, MA, the family moved to Maryland for a time and then to Chicago for his final year of high school. Joe began college at Northeastern in Boston, but the Rockies were calling him so he moved out west, eventually landing at Utah State University, where he earned a BS in Environmental Studies and a MS in Forestry.

Joe's Rocky Mountain adventures were varied and exciting enough to draw many of his siblings to follow him west. During college, he worked as a logger, a cowboy, and rode fences for the BLM. After college, he spent years as a painting contractor in Sun Valley, Idaho, until he grew tired of the snow, ladders and paint fumes. In 1986, Joe moved to Santa Rosa and signed on with Dean Witter to become an investment advisor, where he quickly built a trusted community of clients.

Joe's wife, Gail, walked into his office in 1991, sparks ensued and they married in 1993, building a life together with son Blake and daughter Sarah. Joe always had a project but he was never too busy to lend a hand to a friend in need, or a stranger stuck on the side of the road. If he saw something that needed doing, he didn't complain, he just did it, from fomenting for crosswalks and traffic lights, to picking up junk left on the side of the road.

In 1999, Joe and Gail moved to Bennett Valley with the dream of planting a vineyard. Judge Family Vineyard became Joe's passion project and was his happy place. He threw himself into farming and took great pride in his vineyard. Along the way, Joe made many wonderful friends through his involvement with the Pinky Swears, Bennett Valley Grape Growers, the Kenwood Yacht Club and the Sonoma County Trail Blazers. His family called him Maximum Joe and, when planning a party, his motto was "the more the merrier." Most important of all, Joe never stopped mentoring the young people around him. He loved teaching them how to interview for a job, negotiate for better pay, get a loan, buy a house, use a tool, show up on time, and most of all, work hard and be true to your word. Joe and Gail had a wonderful life together and enjoyed time with friends, entertaining and traveling, and everything revolved around family and the vineyard.

And in Joe's honor, reach out to a young person in your world and share your time and wisdom, or do an act of kindness for a stranger.

Originally published in the Press Democrat