Delco, state GOP officials hail Tom Judge on retirement
SPRINGFIELD » The accolades ranged from letters from former presidents to words from former governors and the state Speaker of the House as hundreds gathered to celebrate Thomas J. Judge Sr. on his retirement.
More than 350 people gathered at the Springfield County Club Wednesday night for the Delaware County Republican Party Salute to Thomas J. Judge Sr.
Judge, 90, was appointed as county Recorder of Deeds in 1992. His longtime public service was matched by his political legacy as he served as chairman of the Delaware County Republican Party from 1975 until 2009.
In that capacity, he served as a delegate or alternate to multiple Republican national conventions and was pivotal in George Bush’s 1988 presidential campaign, as he helped him win Pennsylvania despite a 500,000 voter disadvantage.
Andrew Reilly, current chairman of the Delaware County GOP, quoted the late Upper Darby Republican leader John McNichol describing Judge as “the glue that kept the various pieces of the organization together, like an anchor on a ship or the foundation to a structure, Tommy did serve that purpose but he was much more than that.”
Among the praise Wednesday night, either at the podium or among the crowds, was a statement from Christine Toretti, a Republican National committeewoman from Pennsylvania nominated to be ambassador to Malta.
She read a letter dated Sept. 5, 2018.
“I appreciate your devotion to our country and your hard work in growing and assisting in our party,” she read. “Thank you for all you have done to help build a brighter future for the good people of Pennsylvania.”
“Laura and I are pleased to join your family and friends in congratulating you on this special occasion,” she concluded. “We send our best wishes as you begin your next chapter.”
It was signed “George W. Bush.” Former Springfield GOP leader Charlie Sexton said the Bush family holds much esteem for Judge.
He spoke of a time 10 days before the 1992 election and President George H.W. Bush came to Darby Township for a rally.
“We were in a motor home,” he said. “President Bush looked at Tom and he had tears coming down and he said, ‘Tom, the biggest mistake I made in this campaign was not having you run Pennsylvania this time. The numbers are looking bad for us.’
“And that Bush family has a lot of respect and admiration for Tommy Judge, as they should,” Sexton said.
Judge was also noted for his demeanor and his ability to bring people together, whether through conflict or to get out the vote.
Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun Copeland said, “Tom Judge is the very definition of what it means to be a gentleman and a leader.”
She noted that no matter how busy he is, he always takes the time to say hello, ask about you and about the people and things important to you.
“He cares and you can instantly feel it,” she said. “He exudes integrity and devotion, devotion to family, to friends, to the Republican Party, to doing what is right day in and day out.”
Noted also for his bond to his family, several generations were represented at the affair.
His granddaughter, Caitlin Judge, looked at a picture of her 2-month-old daughter and Judge’s great-granddaughter, Eleanor Bridget, on a quilt made by Sue Linton.
Caitlin Judge said it was almost to difficult to put into words what the night meant to her as she thought about how giving and generous her grandfather is.
“I know he’s helped a lot of people get a job and I love this quote he says,” she said. “He goes, ‘I’ll help you get a job but it’s up to you to keep it.’”
Born and raised in Philadelphia, he has lived in Delaware County for more than six decades. He attended St. Joseph’s College, before it attained university status, in the school’s Industrial Relations’ Certificate Program.
He also served as the county’s first director of the Solid Waste Authority and has served on the Delaware County Planning Commission since 1972.
Pennsylvania Speaker of the House Mike Turzai, R-28 of Allegheny County, said he was honored to be in Springfield for Judge’s celebration.
Speaking to the honoree, Turzai said, “Sometimes you labor in politics, you go through the ups and downs, you wonder, ‘Was it worth it?’
“Tom, let me tell you as speaker of the House,” he continued, “please know in your heart it was worth it ‘cause you have impacted this community and this state far more than you think.”
He said Judge and his legacy has represented the values of the Republican Party.
“Delaware County has epitomized those values because of your leadership in the Republican Party … and because of the team that you have helped get elected in your communities and throughout the state,” Turzai said.