Judson Wayne "Jud" White

Dr. Judson (Jud) Wayne White passed away peacefully with family at his side on April 20, 2024 after a brief illness. A beloved husband, brother, father and grandfather, Jud will forever be missed by his family and friends but leaves an indelible impact on those privileged enough to know him during his lifetime.

Jud was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia alongside his three inseparable brothers. Before adulthood, he developed a passion for both music and science while a member of the inaugural graduating class of J.R. Tucker High School. Jud paid and played his way through college as an integral member of the rock band The Mainmen, opening for major musical acts such as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue.

On the first-ever Earth Day in 1970, Jud made the decision to become a field fisheries biologist and worked his way to a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Richmond, graduating in 1972. After receiving his undergraduate degree, Jud made the tough decision to leave his rock band The Mainmen in order to pursue a graduate degree in biology. In 1974, he received a Master's of Science degree in biology and officially became a field fisheries biologist for Dominion Energy, leading the aquatics lab at Lake Anna, Virginia during development of the North Anna Nuclear Power Station. Jud supervised the North Anna Environmental Lab for over ten years, becoming scuba-certified in the process, and considered those years as some of the best of his career.

Never one to leave a dream unpursued, Jud went back to school after working 30 years at Dominion Energy and earned his Ph.D. in Environmental Public Policy from Virginia Commonwealth University at the age of 50. He then went on to teach a graduate course at VCU called "Business and the Environment" which provided him with great intellectual fulfillment as a professor. Jud retired from Dominion Energy in 2010.

Upon retirement, Jud found gratification in his personal life in a number of ways. He was able to check numerous items off his bucket list, including ice fishing on a frozen lake in Minnesota and riding a zipline in Costa Rica, and he discovered new passions like playing the ukulele.

Jud was preceded in death by his parents William Anderson White & Virginia Lee Satterwhite and his brother Warren White. He is survived by his loving wife Leta White; his three children and their spouses, Charlotte & Vernon Thomas, Judson White Jr. & Jeff Merritt, Allison & Dylan Kowal; his grandson Foster Kowal; and his brothers, Bobby & Billy White.

Jud was forever a man of faith, and his spirituality provided the brush strokes for his life. Always a man of principles, each day of Jud's life was guided by a self-created list of "12 Important Things To Consider Each Day." These 12 principles will forever live on with Jud's loved ones as a way to encourage, inspire, and shepherd them down life's myriad pathways.

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"12 Important Things To Consider Each Day"

By Jud White

1. Each day is a gift, treat it as such. It's the first day of the rest of your life. Thank God each day for this gift.

2. Don't dwell on the past but learn from it and don't worry about the future but let go and let God. Today is what is truly important so put your efforts there.

3. Happiness cannot be found. It comes from within and it starts with gratitude. Count your blessings, not your troubles.

4. Treat others as you would want to be treated. So how do you want to be treated?

5. No one likes to be around a grumpy or self-absorbed person, it's just not a pleasant environment. Pray for them.

6. Put family first. Do not lose sight of what is really important.

Family will or should be with you during the good and bad times.

7. True love is more of a verb (e.g. commitment, action) than a noun or feeling (e.g. butterflies, smitten), especially as we get older. A little love goes a long way.

8. Try to have empathy at all times for others. It not only shows kindness but also respect.

9. When you get depressed and think you have it rough, just look around and notice how others have more difficult issues and problems. Everything is relative.

10. The way you feel about your circumstances is directly related to what your expectations are. Do you have realistic expectations?

11. Practice forgiveness and letting go. It's good for your soul.

12. Take care of yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually. You will live longer.