Jack was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1939. He was the older of two boys born to Dr. John H. Budd and his wife Irma Helen Jackson Budd. He loved playing sports and was an excellent athlete. He also loved watching sports and was a devoted fan. His spirits sometimes rose and often fell with his beloved Cleveland Indians and Browns, for whom he waited decades in vain for another championship.
He attended John Marshall High School in Cleveland, Ohio, then earned his bachelor’s degree from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, and his Juris Doctorate from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1968. After graduating law school, Jack moved his family and law practice to Phoenix after falling in love with the Arizona sun. He had his own practice for many years, was Chief Counsel for The Industrial Commission of Arizona and served as a municipal court judge.
Jack had many talents and a wide range of interests. He made friends easily and kept in touch with friends from throughout his life, from early childhood all the way to retirement. He was a loving father, never missing his son’s ball games, band concerts, or school events. For many years, he played in a men’s competitive softball league and was an excellent league bowler. He served as a ring announcer for boxing and pro wrestling. He was an early adopter of rotisserie baseball and fantasy football, organizing and running leagues for decades and never being far from any league controversies. Jack loved live music, especially country and blues. He was a political junkie, with strong opinions and an ability for spirited debate honed by his many years as an attorney. In 2007, he moved to Murphy, Texas where he found plenty of time to go on over 80 cruises and share his love of sports with his grandsons.
Jack is survived by his partner of over 10 years Maria Turner, his son John H. Budd III, his daughter-in-law Rebecca, his two grandsons John IV “Jackie” and Marcus, his sister-in-law Susan Budd, and her children. He is preceded in death by his daughter Rhonda Lynn, his parents, and his brother Dr. Charles Budd.
A memorial service honoring his life will be held on Tuesday, July 20, 2021, at 10 am at Serenity Chapel at Greenwood Memory Lawn Cemetery in Phoenix, where his ashes will be permanently inurned. Donations in his honor may be made to The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation (www.ripkenfoundation.org), an organization building baseball fields in the communities that need them most.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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