David Judd

Date of birth  - November 9, 1945

Date of death  - November 1, 2025

David Judd was born in Oregon City. His father, Cecil, worked as a machinist, and his mother, Letha (née Jackson), was active in South Clackamas County, where the Judds lived on a forty-acre farm.

David grew up amid the wonder of rural life: planting potatoes, tending gardens, and regaling the hens with Mozart.

David attended Butte Creek Grade School, Molalla H.S., and Willamette U., and he served in the Army Reserve. A bright and cheerful student, he played sports, entered student government, and inspired his basketball coach, Jim Perkins, to name a son after him.

In the 70s he met Mike Lindbergh. Their collaboration helped shape modern Portland. David raised funds to bring high-wire artist Philippe Petit to open the Performing Arts Center, secured an emergency loan for the Oregon Symphony, and helped found the Artquake Festival and Lan Su Chinese Garden. Most visibly, he ensured last-minute funding for Pioneer Courthouse Square despite mayoral resistance. Calling himself "an activist for youth recreation," David served as a parks administrator in Portland and Vancouver.

He loved traveling and cycling-exploring new places with an eye for civic design and pedaling happily between coffee shops. David believed that what we do for the community matters more than what we do for ourselves. Even at the end, he partnered with the ALS Foundation to raise awareness of the disease he faced with dignity and courage.

David's greatest joy was his family. He is predeceased by his parents; his brother-in-law, Arthur Kayser; and his daughter-in-law, Scarlett Zhiwei Li. He is survived by his wife, Kathryn Fitch; sons, Aaron and Andrew; daughter-in-law, Laura; grandchildren, Ronan and Owen; his sister, Trudy Kayser; and countless neighbors and friends.

A Celebration of Life will be held in Portland at First United Methodist Church (1838 SW Jefferson St.) on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, at 10 a.m.