James Frederick Dudley

SIDNEY – James Frederick Dudley, 72, of Sidney, Maine, passed away February 6, 2022 at the Alfond Center for Health in Augusta. Jimmy was born in Augusta on January 27, 1950, the youngest son of Robert Alton and Beulah May (Woodward) Dudley. Always his father’s shadow on the family farm in North Augusta, he moved with his mother and brother to Plymouth, NH as a teenager after his father suddenly passed away. It was there that he fell in love with Barbara at the age of 15. He graduated from Plymouth High School in 1968 as a varsity basketball and baseball athlete. After graduation he attended New Hampshire Vocational-Technical College, continuing his baseball career, and earning an AAS in Internal Combustion Engines. Shortly after college, he married Barbara and moved back to Maine to build their house and raise their family together. You’d often catch Jimmy patiently teaching pragmatic lessons to his children and grandchildren, shooting hoops, tending to his giant vegetable garden, ice fishing out back, riding his snowmobile, working on someone’s logging equipment in the garage he built, or watching his beloved Celtics. He imparted his quiet wisdom, fierce independence, and dry sense of humor to his family.Jimmy worked as a heavy equipment mechanic for Bridge Construction Company in Windsor, welder at Bath Iron Works, and diesel technician at the Maine Department of Transportation in Augusta before retiring. A persistent farmer at heart and an avid outdoorsman, Jimmy enjoyed hunting and fishing which he passed on to his children, grandchildren and other extended family and friends. A member of both the Waterville and Kennebec Valley Beagle Clubs, his life-long passion was raising beagles. As a leader in both clubs and the beagling community at large, he was a well-respected handler and judge in AKC field trials. He was very proud the day his beagle Taboo became an AKC National Field Champion.During the Ice Storm of 1998 he and his co-workers at MaineDOT worked 18-hour days for weeks, tirelessly repairing utility and plow trucks to help get power back on to Maine homes and businesses, all while also not having power at home for 18 days. He used the proceeds from that work to purchase a piece of land and built a camp with help from family and friends on Graham Lake in Mariaville, using lumber he cut from the trees grown on family farm. He enjoyed his time at “Camp O.T.”: fishing out front from shore or in his boat, target shooting, picking berries, ATVing, playing cribbage, marking his grandchildren’s heights, and spending memorable time with family.He was predeceased by his wife Barbara of 51 years, his parents, his brother Robert (Bobby) Alton Dudley, Jr. of Sidney, and sister Jane Louise (Dudley) Patterson of Chelsea.Jimmy is survived by his children Christy Lajoie (James) of Dayton and Eric Dudley (Sarah) of Gorham, grandchildren Alyssa and Ian Lajoie and Aidan and Grace Dudley. He is also leaving behind his stepbrother Paul Nelson (Jacqui) of Waltham, MA, several cousins, nieces and nephews, in-laws, and friends.A private family graveside service will be held at the Cottle Cemetery, across from the old family farm in North Augusta this spring.Arrangements are entrusted with Knowlton and Hewins Funeral Home and Cremation Care One Church Street, Augusta, Maine. Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the Knowlton and Hewins Funeral Home website: http://www.familyfirstfuneralhomes.com.In lieu of flowers, please send charitable donations to the Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation to further research toward a cure: http://www.support.pkdcure.org/fundraiser/3708265