Judson R. Duell, III

Judson “Jud" R. Duell, III, 59, of Knotts Island, NC, formerly of Coudersport, passed away Monday, April 12, 2021 at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital, in Virginia Beach, VA, surrounded by his family. 

Jud was born on June 2, 1961, in Frankfurt, Germany, and he was the son of Judson R. Duell, II and Helga (Pitz) Duell, of Knotts Island, NC, formerly of Coudersport. Being part of a military family, Jud was able to experience life in many states in his early years, including Texas, North Carolina, New Mexico, and Alaska. 

Jud was a 1979 graduate of Mayfield High School, in Las Cruces, NM, and he continued his education at Penn State. He worked many years at the Pittsburgh Corning Corp. in Port Allegany and then for several years as a Maintenance Manager at Georgia-Pacific in Bradford, where he was widely recognized for implementing a system that greatly reduced energy consumption and improved operations. He then relocated to Indiana, where he continued his career in corrugated paper manufacturing.  

Jud was an incredibly hard working man and took great pride in his career, as well as his love for mechanics, but he was most dedicated to raising his children and supporting their aspirations. When he retired to Knotts Island, NC, he spent his time riding motorcycles, being with family, and enjoying life as “Poppy” to his grandchildren. Jud always had a love for hot rods, with him growing up racing dirt track cars and four wheelers (winning the AMA Grand National TT race in Geneva, NY in 1993 and at one time being 3rd in the nation for his talents). He was also an avid bowler, with him earning the title of top men’s youth bowler in New Mexico at age 17, and hitting a perfect 300 game and holding a record 3 game series win, with a score of 831, in Coudersport. He was also a long time member of the Eulalia Masonic Lodge #342.  

In addition to his parents, Jud is survived by his two daughters, Ashley Duell and Breanne (Blane) Fenning; his brother, Joseph Duell; his beloved grandchildren, Cameron and Avery Fenning; and his niece and nephew. Jud was preceded in death by his brother, John Duell.

Family and friends are welcome to pay tribute to Jud’s life on May 8, 2021, from 10-11 am at the Thomas E. Fickinger Funeral Home 210 North East Street Coudersport, with a memorial service to follow with Pastor Scott Ogden, officiating.  A private burial will be held in Sweden Hill Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Jud’s name to Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary, 2110 Lebanon Rd, Mt. Juliet, TN 37122, to support his love and compassion for dogs. 

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