Missouri State Printer Passes Away

Gary Judd was a man who enjoyed his job. Only recently had he even entertained the idea of retiring as Missouri State Printer, a post he had held since 1980. But when asked to pick a target retirement date, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He simply didn’t want to leave.

Sadly, despite his dedication and passion, Mr. Judd has been called away. He died recently in his Jefferson City home at the age of 64.

With his passing, the state of Missouri lost a dedicated worker and many in the in-plant industry lost a true friend.

A member of the National State Publishing Association since its inception in 1977, Mr. Judd was one of only two people who attended every single conference. He served as the group’s president in 1994 and hosted the conference in Kansas City in 1995. His ideas and quiet, friendly personality brought him the respect of government printers around the country. He didn't speak often, but when he did, the whole room quieted down to hear what he had to say.

To this magazine, Mr. Judd not only served as an editorial advisory board member, but as a contributor of ideas — and fan mail. His letters to the editor appeared several times over the years, as did stories about his printing operation—most recently in October, when IPG wrote about his in-plant’s successful open house.

A humble man, Mr. Judd often thought others made more of his accomplishments than they merited. But in truth he deserved every pat on the back he received, and many more.

Under his leadership, the state of Missouri consolidated 12 of its scattered print shops into one centralized unit, a move that saved the state millions. Mr. Judd worked hard to strengthen that operation, implementing new technology when it became available. He recently added variable data printing to the operation’s extensive repertoire.

But more important to Mr. Judd than technology were his customers.

“I think it’s my nature to help people and serve people,” he told IPG in an interview.

That’s something Gary Judd continued doing right up until the end. As both a contributor and a friend, Gary will be missed.