This week Maui gained a storyteller, as Palo Alto bade farewell to longtime resident, author and golf expert H. Stanley “Skip” Judd and his wife Ingrid, a revered educator in the district. With Ingrid’s health compromised, they decided it was time to sell the house, say good-bye to a lifetime of possessions, and head to paradise.
And that’s when they called Kuzak’s Closet, trusting me to organize and hold their “estate sale.” I know that many of you will be intrigued and want more information about Skip so I thought I would give you more background tonight with a little glimpse inside my meetings with him.
There was an epic story for nearly every book, artwork, and piece of furniture as Skip showed me around his Ramona Avenue home, pointing out the various treasures and collectibles amassed over an exotic lifetime. Palm and fern graphic wallpaper, pristine vintage rattan furniture they purchased at World Market over 35 years ago, and a rack of Hawaiian shirts clued me in to their love of the tropics. Dozens of art tiles Ingrid collected over the decades lined the kitchen, and the library was stocked with the 1st editions of classic novels and golf books Skip coveted. And his great-grandfather’s Gold Rush era desk. And daguerreotypes, and incredible ephemera. It somehow wasn’t surprising to hear that Skip had a lifetime of friendships and meetings with…Rod Serling! Billy Graham! Bill Cosby! Bobby Short! Dave Brubeck! HARRY TRUMAN! And Johnny Weissmuller, the original Tarzan. Yeah, just a few of the names on his list.
Not surprisingly, the writer and raconteur is frequently quoted on the Internet, and this one on “starting over” jumped out:
“You will now have a starting place and a destination, and you will be able to determine what it will cost you to get there. You will be going someplace.” H. Stanley Judd
I also love this quote…
Amidst the first editions of Faulkner, Steinbeck, Hemingway, Theroux, Ferber, and Doctorow, and signed copies of his book “How to Play Golf the Easy Way,” Skip and I shook hands. As he thanked me for taking care of everything he told me we were going to write a book called “How to Move the Easy Way Over 75,” plus the same titled app we were going to create together. Feeling mighty proud of his trust in Kuzak’s Closet, I might pick up a copy of his “Think Rich,” at the sale, while we help his treasures go off on their new adventures.
You can read about Kuzak’s and the Judd’s move in the upcoming real estate special section of the Palo Alto Weekly! Pinch me!
Leave a Reply