Tampa Bay entrepreneur leaves tangible footprint on famous Florida project

James Patrick Judge Sr. learned the concrete finishing trade in the late 1960s while working as a bag boy at a Winn-Dixie store in Sarasota.

He saved $700, bought a pickup truck and tools, and started his own company. Judge Construction has grown to become the largest concrete pumping business in the Southeastern United States. His son, James Judge Jr., said the concrete was used to build some of Tampa Bay and Florida’s most famous landmarks, including Walt Disney World, the Skyway Bridge, Raymond James Stadium and Tampa International Airport. The company reportedly provided concrete for some of the buildings.

Mr Judge, who lived in Dunedin, had been in declining health and died on Friday at a hospice in Temple Terrace, his son said. He was 78 years old.

“He was proud of all the work he did in Florida and loved the state of Florida,” the junior judge said. “It’s an honor to drive through different places and see my dad at work.”

Mr. Judge Sr. moved to Sarasota from Illinois in 1959 and his family moved to Bellaire five years later.

He ran Judge Construction with his brother, winning high-profile contracts for projects such as the Crystal River and Turkey Point nuclear power plants. Judge Sr. was especially proud to be involved in the effort to save his famous 16th-century Spanish fortress, Castello San Felipe del Morro, in Puerto Rico. He was an avid Gator fan, so Ben Hill was thrilled when Griffin selected him to be involved in the construction of the stadium.

The family company was sold in the 1980s, and Mr. Judge Sr. formed a new company to design and manufacture small towable concrete pumps, eventually selling the new business to Schwing America in 1991. . Another business, Concrete Pump Dispatch, is based in Safety Harbor and specializes in locally providing concrete pumping services throughout the Tampa Bay area.

“My father loved the challenges and adventures of entrepreneurship, traveling the world, and loved living in the Tampa Bay area, especially Dunedin,” the judge said. Mr. Junior has filed to run against Congressman Gus Bilirakis in Florida’s 12th Congressional District.

Mr. Judge Sr. is also survived by daughters Alexandria and Anastasia, grandchildren Benjamin, Isaac, and Logan, brothers Tom and Kelly, and sister Shari.James Jr. loses as Florida State candidate

His funeral is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Espiritu Santo Catholic Church in Safety Harbor. A procession will follow to Sylvan Abbey in Clearwater for his graveside service. A celebration of his life will be held shortly thereafter in Capogna’s dugout in Clearwater.