Michael E. Judge, 1928-2010: Trust officer looked after his clients' best interest
10/20/2010Michael E. Judge, a lawyer and a longtime trust and commercial loan officer with the former Toledo Trust Co., died Saturday at Ebeid Hospice Residence, Sylvania. He was 81.
The cause of death was unknown. He had dementia and fell in the hospital and at the care center where he was a resident, his son, Mike, said.
A Sylvania resident, Mr. Judge retired in 1991 from a Toledo Trust successor, Society Bank, which later became KeyBank.
For about five years afterward, he was an officer with Bayer & Associates, helping clients draw up trust agreements.
"His whole life was how to work with money and make it work the best for his clients," said his former wife, Barbara Judge, to whom he had been married 47 years.
He joined Toledo Trust in 1956 and, by 1960, was elected an assistant secretary in the trust department. He became a trust officer in 1962 and a senior trust officer and a vice president and commercial loan officer in 1971. Later that decade, he was vice president for commercial loans.
He left for more than two years to be vice president of finance of Oberlin Steel Inc. He returned to Toledo Trust in 1980, when he was elected a senior trust officer in trust administration. He was elected a vice president in 1981.
His position often was sensitive, his son said.
"He was a guy who didn't need to boast, to pretend to be the big shot," his son said. "He didn't need to be front and center."
Some clients were wealthy, and as their trust officer, he worked to make sure their wishes were carried out after they died - which at times meant deflecting long-distance phone calls from adult children who pleaded immediate need.
"He was in control of the money. He enjoyed making sure the money was there for them and they couldn't get their hands on it and run through it in a year or two," his son said.
Likewise, he valued the loyalty of an employer, especially the late Samuel G. Carson, Toledo Trust chief executive officer.
"He really enjoyed when Sam Carson was there. He was a man of his word," his son said. "When Sam talked to him, he knew he could trust what was being told to him, versus some other people down the road."
He was born Dec. 27, 1928, in Toledo to Emma and Ward Judge. He was a graduate of Central Catholic High School and of the University of Notre Dame, where he studied commerce and accounting. He received a law degree from the University of Toledo.
He was an instructor for the Toledo chapter, American Institute of Banking, and was on the advisory board of the former Mercy Hospital in Toledo.
In retirement, he took time to enjoy the privacy and beauty of his backyard overlooking Ten Mile Creek.
He golfed and belonged to Highland Meadows Golf Club and Sylvania Country Club. He liked to play bridge, but especially liked to read. Mr. Judge consumed books regardless of genre - from mysteries to current politics.
Surviving are his daughters, Juli Siegel, Jan Janes, and Kathy Johnson, son, Mike, and nine grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday in the Reeb Funeral Home, Sylvania, where visitation will be from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday.
The family suggests tributes to Ebeid Hospice Residence, Sylvania, or the Alzheimer's Association.
Contact Mark Zaborney at:
mzaborney@theblade.com
or 419-724-6182.