Water For People: Remembering Paul Judge

By Lisa Edwards and Kraig Kern

This article was originally published in the 2016 Summer issue of NC Currents.

Paul’s final wish was to have a successful Climb for Water campaign in 2016. Help him reach his goal by going to www.crowdrise.com/climbforwater.

It has been said that a hero is somebody who is selfless, who is generous in spirit, who just tries to give back as much as possible. Paul Judge was all of those things and much, much more.

Paul died on the morning of March 9, 2016 on the steep and dangerous slopes of Ixtaccihuatl, a 17,159-foot extinct volcano in Central Mexico. He was there to fulfill a dream of reaching his highest personal altitude. According to his guides, nothing seemed unusual as they started to descend – having been forced to turn back due to a fierce storm. But within just a few steps Paul collapsed, tried to rise, and then fell again for the last time. Despite an hour of resuscitation attempts, nothing could be done to save him.

To say that everyone who knew Paul was shocked and saddened by the news would be a monumental understatement. People would describe him as a friendly, quiet, and unassuming guy, but he had a pronounced impact on everyone he met. Since his death there have been thousands of comments, notes, pictures and memories on Paul’s Facebook page, and mourners were moved to a larger room during his memorial service because of the large number of people who came to pay their respects.

It may sound cliché, but Paul died doing what he loved. Those who knew him best are comforted with the knowledge that he was truly happy. When Paul was not working, he was outside involved in one adventure after another. Although he left us much too soon, Paul experienced more of life than most of us could ever dream, and he also affected the lives of many others along the way.

He was not only influential in the adventurer community, but also within the water industry. Paul worked with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (formerly NCDENR), Public Water Supply Section as a Hydrogeologist for over 21 years in the Mooresville Regional Office. Although he was employed as a regulator, many operators formed a personal bond with Paul and contacted him as a trusted friend to seek guidance. He was a mentor to those inside and outside of his agency.

 
One word people would use to describe Paul was reliable. He was very knowledgeable and responsive, even answering his work phone calls while on vacation. Paul was always ready to help anyone. Paul’s brother described him as thoughtful – both in a kind, sincere, caring way and also in the thoughtful think things-through way, always evaluating consequences. Paul was calm during a crisis and was quick to help water systems through potentially catastrophic situations.

Paul was very active in the water industry and held many licenses and certifications including A Surface, A Well, A Distribution and Cross Connection. He was on the Public Water Supply Section’s Area Wide Optimization Program (AWOP) team helping water systems go above and beyond regulatory requirements and serving the citizens of North Carolina optimized drinking water.

Paul was a member of North Carolina Waterworks Operator’s Association for over 20 years and served as Chair of the South Piedmont Section. In addition, he was also an active member of NC AWWA-WEA, most recently serving as vice chair of the Water For People Committee. Paul taught at water schools, proctored certification exams, and was a guest speaker at many seminars and workshops. In short, he was a hero to the water industry in North Carolina.

Paul was also able to effectively combine his affinity for adventure with water quality issues on a global scale. After observing the success of the first Climb for Water campaign to Africa’s Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2011, he got heavily involved in the effort going forward. During the next two campaigns, Paul helped raise another $25,000 for clean water and hygiene projects around the world. Perhaps Paul’s greatest contribution to the team was his infinite patience. He was more physically fit than anyone who participated in Climb for Water, but always stayed in the back of the pack to make sure he was there to lend a hand or an encouraging word. Climb for Water was a turning point in Paul’s life, it gave him purpose while allowing him to pursue ever greater adventures.

In an article he co-authored in this very magazine (NC Currents, Summer 2014, pp. 58-60), Paul wrote “I stopped and reflected that this was precisely the reason the seven members of Climb for Water were in Quito, Ecuador. In the US, most of us do not need to think twice about the safety of the water that comes from our taps. In Ecuador, and many other places around the world, potable water is not taken for granted. Climb for Water wants to help change that.”

Paul was more than an adventurer and water quality practitioner; he was a humanitarian.

In a society bombarded daily with bad news, Paul was the very personification of what is good and right in this world. He believed that all of us have the power to make the world a better place and he lived that way every day of his life. In fact, Paul believed so much in the cause of helping others gain access to clean water that he revived Climb for Water two years after it officially shut down. Paul was planning on leading a climbing group this Labor Day 2016 with a new campaign that would take him and his team to the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire, while raising more life-saving money for Water For People .

In life, Paul Judge was more than a hydrogeologist and outdoorsman. He was a loving son, a beloved brother, a devoted father, and a best friend to everyone he met. Paul was a man who could take you out of your comfort zone and help you conquer your fears. In addition, he was a hero to all of us who knew him and to countless others around the world who never got the chance to meet him.

Paul, our minds still talk to you, our hearts still look for you, and our souls know you are at peace. We love you and miss you.

	LEFT: In his trademark red shirt, Paul had an adventurous spirit, always challenging himself.   BELOW: Paul had a way of reassuring people they could do anyting, despite this lighthearted teasing of co-author Lisa Edwards.

About the Authors:
Lisa Edwards has been with NCDEQ (formerly DENR) for over 25 years. She was former Chair of the Water For People committee and served with the World Water Corps in several developing countries. She participated on the Climb for Water Ecuador campaign and plans to summit Mt. Washington in September.

Kraig Kern is the Vice President and Director of Marketing at WK Dickson & Co., Inc., and a member of the board of directors of the American Council of Engineering Companies of North Carolina (ACEC/NC). He is the original founder and team leader of Climb for Water and has been active with the Water For People committee since 2010. Kraig will lead the 2016 Climb for Water expedition in September.