William D. Judkins

William Darryle Judkins, born June 22, 1941, passed away in the loving company of his family, including his wife of 62 years, Josephine, daughter Cathy, and sons Jeff and Craig, together with their spouses and his grandchildren, who meant the world to him.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., with a Vigil Service at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway (3601 Westown Pkwy, West Des Moines). Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church (2926 Beaver Ave, Des Moines).

Bill, as he was known to friends and family, began his working life at Iowa Packing Company alongside his father before joining the military in the early 1960s. He later served as a police officer with the Des Moines Police Department, where he spent many years in service to the community, retiring in 1996 with the rank of sergeant.

Toward the end of his tenure, Bill became a familiar face in the community through his role as the department’s information officer, appearing regularly on local news broadcasts. Known for his natural humor and ease with people, Sgt. Bill Judkins carried himself with a presence that made him both trusted and memorable.

A man whose dream job had always been to work as a radio disc jockey, Bill found a way to get close when he was hired by WHO-TV as a morning traffic reporter. In that role, he leaned fully into his wit and personality, occasionally featuring guest traffic reporters such as NBC network anchor Tom Brokaw and then–Des Moines mayor Arthur Davis.

Parallel to his work in infotainment, he also served as director of operations at Operation Downtown, where he helped establish this new program for downtown which carries on still today.

But Bill’s work isn’t what defined him.

To really know him, you had to look at how he lived when there was nowhere he needed to be, only places he wanted to go and people he wanted to be with. It was there in the winters spent in Naples with his family, in summers fishing, sometimes even successfully, in northern Minnesota, and, in every season, in his steadfast presence in the lives of his grandchildren and all of their activities.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Hewitt and Betty Judkins, and his brother Larry. He is survived by his wife Josephine; his son Jeff and his wife Dawn; his daughter Cathy and her husband Jake; and his son Craig and his wife Eva, as well as his seven grandchildren: Caitlin, Callie, Connor, Daniel, Calvin, Molly, and Greta.

Bill will be remembered for his dry wit and titanic sense of humor, his focus on family, friends and, above all, letting the good times roll.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Hope Lodge, 750 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA 52246 or to the Des Moines Police Burial Association, P.O. Box 600 Des Moines, IA 50303.

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