Prominent Attorney, Downtown Leader Dies At 66

Prominent attorney, businessman and downtown leader Charles B. "Chuck" Judson died Sunday following a battle with cancer. He was 66.

An attorney and shareholder at law firm Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge, Judson was a past president of the Grand Traverse/Leelanau/Antrim Bar Association and an elected Fellow at the Michigan State Bar Association. In 2012 and 2013, Judson was included in Best Lawyers in America in the area of Government Relations.

Judson served multiple terms on Traverse City's Downtown Development Authority board and Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce board, including serving as chair of both boards. He was Chairman Emeritus of the Northwestern Michigan College Foundation and served on the Habitat for Humanity board of directors. Judson lent his legal expertise to numerous community organizations, including the National Cherry Festival, NMC, the Traverse Area District Library, the Northwestern Regional Airport Commission, and the Grand Traverse Metro Emergency Services Authority.

In 2015, he was named the Distinguished Service Award winner by the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce. “Chuck Judson really embodies what the Distinguished Service Award is all about,” then-Chamber Executive Director Laura Oblinger said of the selection. “He’s been a key part of so many local success stories – the Downtown Development Authority, Northwestern Michigan College, the transformation of the Grand Traverse Commons and many others. His tireless community commitment and legal expertise has paid major dividends in our region for more than 30 years.”

Upon winning the award, Judson stated: "There are so many people around town who I look at who are doing incredible things every day, from foster parents to the many people who work on charitable causes…a lot of the heavy lifting is done by people who haven’t looked back. I’m very honored that people feel I’ve had a positive impact on Traverse City.”

DDA Chair and Golden Shoes owner Bill Golden tells The Ticker Judson was a mentor to him and a go-to historian for DDA board members, "a great source of information and a true leader of downtown and the community."

"He was so approachable," Golden says. "He was busy with other things, but he was someone you could approach at any time and he would make time for you. He was such a great teacher...he knew how to explain things like nobody else and made it so much easier to give your input when questions came up. It was invaluable. He was a true leader of the DDA, no doubt about it."

Fellow DDA board member Steve Constantin echoes Golden's remarks, also referring to Judson as "our historian" and saying how much he appreciated Judson's "institutional memory." Constantin adds: "He could put things in context like no one else could. What an incredible role by an incredible man."

Judson is survived by his wife, Sue, adult daughters Allie and Bailey, and two-year-old granddaughter Reiley, among other family members. A visitation is scheduled for Saturday (July 29) from 12pm to 2pm at Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home. A memorial service is scheduled for Sunday (July 30) at 2pm at Central United Methodist Church.