Judd F. Tucker

Judd Frederick Tucker, age 66, passed away on 31 May 2024 in Emmett, Idaho.  His health had been declining the last year and although heroic efforts were made at the hospital emergency room he succumbed to the effects of Cardiac Arrest.

He was born to Melvin Frederick Tucker and his wife Barbara Lucy Quinney Tucker on 16 December 1957 at Mission Hospital in Huntington Park, California. He was the youngest of four children and was raised in Pico Rivera, California.  He attended Valencia Elementary School, Rivera Junior High and El Rancho High School.  His young life was filled with adventure and sports.  He especially loved baseball and played with Smith Park Boy’s Baseball League.  He often was coached by his father and cheered on by his mother.  His brother Jeff and he played on the same team for many of those little league years, Judd at third base and Jeff at first base.  He also loved to golf and was on the Golf Team at El Rancho High School where he lettered his senior year.   Whenever he could he would play different courses.

His summer days mirrored the lives from the movie, “The Sandlot.”  The neighborhood was filled with lots of boys and every sport that was around was played.  Dad had put up a basketball hoop on the garage and many fun times were had with the neighborhood kids.  Each day had many young boys coming over to play.

After high school Judd was able to get a job at Angel’s Stadium in Anaheim, California where he became an usher in the upper deck in left field. He loved that he was able to be paid to watch his beloved Anaheim Angels play everyday.  When he turned 19 years old Judd accepted a call to serve a full time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Iowa Des Moines Mission for a period of two years.  He loved his mission and teaching people of Jesus Christ.

Upon returning home to California he married Laura Jensen in Los Angeles, California.  To their marriage were born 4 children that were raised in Phelan, California. In 1984 Judd began a 30+ year career with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and worked mainly in the San Dimas Station.  He worked a lot of overtime at other stations and provided a good living to support his family.  He still loved baseball and religiously followed the Anaheim Angels and BYU Sports, especially football. If there was a game on television on a Saturday he could often be found at one of the fire stations when he would take a break and relax watching the game.  He also began mining for gold and through the years found quite a bit of gold.  

In 2008 he met Debi Goodman and four years later they married in the home of his brother John in Apple Valley, California.  It was a quickly put together wedding but was filled with joy and love.  They continued to live in Phelan, California.  Several years later Judd retired after 30 years as a deputy sheriff after he went to work and did not feel well. When he walked into his station the desk Sergeant asked him what was wrong with his face.  He did not know anything was wrong but the Sergeant called 911. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital and it was discovered that he was having a bout with Bells Palsy, which caused a distortion of his facial muscle.  When he was told that it was likely caused by stress he pondered how to get stress out of his life.  After a day or two he called the payroll depart to see how much more pension money he would get if he worked for two more years and they said about $120.00 a month and after thinking it over for a few minutes he told them to start his retirement paperwork and shortly after his working career was over. It was then that he got the urge to travel around the United States by driving everywhere seeing family, friends and making friends wherever they went.  After a few years of doing that they finally settled down in Emmett, Idaho near his two sons and their families.

Judd always found time to help someone in need and was generous to many people. While working for the sheriff’s department he would see the city workers cutting and trimming Eucalyptus trees in San Dimas.  He drove a truck to work each day and would ask the workers to set aside branches and limbs.  After work he would go back and fill his truck with wood, then he would go home and split and stack it for firewood.  In addition to keeping his wood to heat his own house he would often deliver and stack wood for the widows in his Ward in Phelan for their homes and also the missionaries.  He loved doing this and often did it anonymously.  For this he was blessed to always have enough for his family and also to bless the lives of those who might have been cold through the cold winter months otherwise.

He and Debi recently completed a two week Hawaiian Cruise out of Los Angeles with his sister Jill and brother John and their spouses. Although he did not feel well he wanted Debi to see Hawaii.  His thoughts always were to make sure that Debi enjoyed her time on the cruise. That, in a nutshell was Judd.  Serving and protecting the public and making sure his family had the things they needed.

Judd is survived by his wife Debi, who he loved, his four children, Justin (Candace), Melissa Turner, Jessica Swensen (Steven) and Jordan (Victoria).  He is also survived by Debi’s children, Jena (Machiel) von Frankenhuijsen, Christopher Echols (Brittany), Mathew (Tiffany) Echols, Sara Echols, Jeffrey Echols and Emily Echols.  He is also survived by 16 grandchildren and Debi’s parents Ron and Carolyn Goodman, his sister and two brothers, Jill (Craig) Lund, John (Tiffany) Tucker and Jeff (Pamila) Tucker. In addition, many nieces, nephews and cousins survive him.  Judd was predeceased by his Father and Mother, Melvin and Barbara Tucker.

Memorial services will be held on Friday, 14 June at 11:00 AM MST at Potter Funeral Chapel, 228 E. Main St., Emmett, Idaho.  The service may be viewed via a live stream link by clicking on the Funeral Home’s website and then going to Judd’s obituary.  The link will be available about 10 minutes prior to Judd's Memorial Service. 
 

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