James Fredrick Hudson Sr.

1939 - 2023

Jim Hudson passed away peacefully at home in the company of his children. He excelled professionally in a career spanning more than 45 years and received superior marks from his family for being a great husband, father, brother, friend and role model. He touched many lives with his humor and generosity.Jim grew up in the Village of Shortsville, N.Y. and attended Red Jacket Central High School in Manchester. After high school graduation he enlisted in the Air Force and began his journey that would eventually culminate in a 57-year marriage, 4 kids, 8 grandkids, a couple of advanced degrees from ASU and USC, and several awards from the NSA and the Air Force.Dad did not talk about work much. One of his favorite responses to his kids and friends when asked about what he did at work — "I could tell you, but then I would have to kill you." We tired of this dad joke, but when your work is "in support of national space activities vital to the security of the United States," it provided some context for his humor. Both during his military career and afterwards, he was continually recognized for his contributions to communications security (COMSEC), and various satellite/missile programs that were described as of the highest national importance.While dad was a very accomplished man, his greatest achievement was his family. We are thankful for the time that we had with him. His legacy and richness of character are found in all the memories he left us with.LIFE'S LESSONS PASSED ALONG! Dad once said, "I just left raising you kids to your mother." This wasn't true, as he had a large influence on his children and grandchildren. To his kids, Jim Hudson was the original Yoda; there was no try—It was OK to DO and fail, so long as you did what you said you were going to, and there was an honest effort. He continuously demonstrated persistence, self-reliance, and service to others. There was also an endless amount of solicited and unsolicited advice that turned out to be right more often than not as we got older.Dad spent time with his family supporting his children and grandchildren. He was an active member in the Knights of Columbus and Church of the Transfiguration. He enjoyed preparing big meals; whether it was for the St. Patrick's Day Dinner at the church, dinners with the Knights, helping mom with the ladies' tea events or having the whole family over for dinner, he always made sure everyone's plate was full.Jim returns to his love, Ruth. They are survived by their children, Tracy (Kurt), James (Midge), Charles (Stephanie), Thomas (Melanie); and grandchildren Ellen, Anne, Alec, Natalie, Isaac, Mason, Ryan and Gabriel. Jim is also survived by his sister Florence (Larry) Cook, in-laws Marilyn Hudson, Linda (Bill) Hughes, Richard Nelson, cousins George Miller, Judy Lavan, and many others. Jim was preceded in death by his parents and brother Thomas Hudson, who also passed in 2022.Jim will be interred with his wife at Santa Clara Mission Cemetery on Friday, February 3rd, 2023 beginning at 1:00 pm.Our family would like to thank Kaiser Hospice, especially Song, Charlene, and Cindy for their outstanding care.