FALLEN OFFICER
Funeral services for fallen Peoria police Officer Jason Judd were held Tuesday morning in Peoria, during which he was remembered as a devoted husband and father, a hardworking keeper of the law and a man who positively impacted all he came into contact with.
The services started at 9 a.m. with bagpipes playing as Judd’s casket was led into the sanctuary of Christ’s Church of the Valley.
Among the first to speak was Judd’s wife, Teresa, who stood at the podium and shared her late husband’s eulogy. Flanked by two Peoria police officers, Teresa Judd described the man she loved as the “glue that held our family together.”
The couple did not have children together, but Jason Judd had two children who Teresa embraced as her own.
She was transparent about the devastating sense of loss she’s felt in the two weeks since her husband was killed in a motorcycle crash.
“There will forever be a hole in my heart and a void in my family — my world, as I loved it, will never be the same,” she said. “Before I met Jason, I
never imagined I could love somebody as much as I loved him. He taught me how to love simply by how he loved me.”
Teresa Judd described her husband as “patient, generous and steadfast in his faith in God.”
The tearful remembrances of a man whose life was abruptly ended included some moments of levity, such as when she called Judd a “stickler for the rules” who told her exactly what ARS code she was violating when she sped or failed to come to a complete stop.
Officer Flin Alek got choked up after uttering the first sentence of his speech, in which he said “Jason Judd was a man.”
He told numerous stories of himself and others turning to Judd for help with car issues or other problems, always noting how quick Judd was to drop everything to assist those who needed it.
“JJ was our guy for just about everything — on or off-duty,” he said.
Alek memorialized Judd as the man who loved Americana, who cared so much about his job that he one time worked 22 hours straight, and who was so generous with his time that he several times gave safety lessons to high school students.
Police chief: Judd brought ‘joy and friendship to all of us’
Peoria Police Chief Art Miller said Judd never failed to shake his hand when he saw him, calling him “so friendly.”
At one point he asked everyone but Judd’s family to rise and applaud him and the effort he put into protecting his community over the years.
A deafening applaud overtook the sanctuary before Miller resumed his speech by noting the “second family” Judd had in the police department.
He then announced that Judd’s dispatch call sign was M551 and that the number would be retired but remain on the lineup in honor of him.
“JJ brought joy and friendship to all of us, and all of our lives are much richer by the way that he touched us,” Miller said.
He recalled Judd’s “ever-present smile” and said the police department would “never be the same” after his death.
Son calls Judd his hero
Judd’s son, Terry Judd, said his father had an “unwavering ability to make an impact on us,” the first to step up to help him and anyone else through trying times.
“My father was, and forever will be, my hero,” he said.
He noted his father’s attention to detail, prompting another moment of laughter when describing the painstaking measures he took to ensure the pin on his shirt was perfectly centered or the area under his shoelaces was free of dirt and grime.
Judd was “ingenious,” his son said, always coming up with ways to be more efficient.
He recalled memories of the two of them fishing and tubing, and taking a road trip through South Dakota, forming that special bond of a father and son.
He ended his speech by telling his father he loved him, and promising to “do my best to make you proud.”
Officers, pastor pay tribute
Next, a group of Peoria officers took to the podium, with Kevin Tarrant first speaking on behalf of motor unit.
Though he said it’s hard to cope with the emotions and pain felt by Judd’s sudden death, he said it’s comforting to dwell on the fond memories. There was a consensus, he said, that the two best words to describe Judd were “selfless” and “passionate.”
“JJ was the best of the best — there was nothing he could not learn or do,” he said.
Jason Tarrant spoke next, saying he met Judd when he first started with the department and that Judd became a mentor throughout his career.
Judd was “very meticulous” and was supremely proud of his family and faith. That pride and commitment, he said, helped all of the officers around him be better as people, friends, fathers and spouses.
“We can all take comfort in knowing we are a better version of ourselves because we had the opportunity to have JJ in our lives,” he said.
Judd’s family pastor, John Sprain of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Surprise, offered verses from the Book of Revelation that painted a glorious picture of Heaven, Judd’s his eternal home.
He compared Judd’s sudden death and the widespread grief felt by his survivors to a baseball game in which an umpire makes a call that upsets many fans in the stands, but said the Bible offers answers and hope even during tragedy.
Sprain spoke in-depth about Judd’s commitment to his faith, encouraging mourners to live as Judd did, with trust in God and without fear of death.
He wished God’s peace upon Judd’s family before concluding his statements with the Lord’s Prayer.
Honors for Judd after service
After the service, silence and solemnity filled the air outside the church as mourners left the sanctuary and law enforcement formed a line on the grass as they awaited the beginning of the procession.
At least 200 people were gathered by 10:40 a.m., when Judd’s family was escorted through the grassy area where his casket would be brought.
The 21-gun salute and flag folding ceremony took place before bagpipes played “Amazing Grace.”
Four Air Force planes flew overhead, followed by a moment of silence.