Judi Staven, 65, Portsmouth

EastBayRI.com ·

Judi Staven was born in Michigan in 1951. She has two brothers, one sister, and one sister who recently died. She was estranged from her family.

Kath Melvin, of Heritage Drive in Portsmouth, recalls Judi Staven. “She was a bright, intelligent woman who made a positive contribution to the Town of Portsmouth.”

Larry Fitzmorris of the Portsmouth Concerned Citizens compiled a list of her accomplishments.

• On July 16, 2002, Staven vs. Portsmouth subcommittee (School Committee). This came about because Judi set up a video camera to record the School Committee and the Chair objected and shut down the recording. Judi filed a complaint with Attorney General and won.

• 2004 Town Council election: Judi placed eighth. Larry Fitzmorris was her Campaign Chair.

• November 2010: Judi was elected to the Town Council placing sixth.

• Over a number of years, she was Chair to the Solid Waste/Recycling Committee. She was the most knowledgeable in the operation, budget and recycling at the station.

• Chair of the Citizen’s Committee on the Comprehensive Plan.

• Judi always advocated for good government and never for her own personal advancement.

• She will always be remembered for her efforts at town budget time, recycling and for the Transfer Station.

• Paul Kesson, who served with her on the Town Council, offered this opinion, “I think the Transfer Station should be named in honor of Judi Staven.”

She worked tirelessly with Elizabeth Pedro, Paul Kesson and Erica Medley to defeat the long, contentious battle to install a sewage treatment plant in the Town of Portsmouth. She made several trips with Liz and Erica to retrieve documents at the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management in Providence and Wakefield.

Her neighbor, Ian Gerrior, was quoted as saying, “She never saw a plant or a dog that she didn’t love.” From her days training dogs (she was involved in Doberman rescue and fostered up to seven dogs at a time) to her recent love of a 15-pound Pug named Harley, she loved dogs.

She loved the Town of Portsmouth almost as much as Harley. She devoted the last 20 years making a difference in the town. Every fall, she would gear up for the tax season and the countless hours preparing returns.

She opinionated and she let people know it. Most of all, she was a loyal friend and a great neighbor and if you are one of those, then you are making the town a better place. 

She came to Newport following the Jazz and Folk Festivals after attending the infamous Woodstock Folk Festival in Woodstock, New York, in 1969. She began bartending at Kaye’s Melody Lounge in Newport, where she met Bruce Medley and Harry Church.

Judi was instrumental in fighting the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission, helping to put Harry Church and Bruce Medley in business with the Island Transport, the ferry that ran out of Melville to Prudence Island. She ran the parking lots in Bristol for the ferry to Prudence Island.

She helped raise Bruce Medley’s children, Grace (Portsmouth Abbey 2011), Nicholas (2013) and Katherine (Portsmouth High School (2014). Judi helped to teach them to boogie board on South Beach in Little Compton, scolded them often (much to their chagrin) and folded their socks.

She will be remembered by family, friends, coworkers and people of the Town of Portsmouth always, but most of all, she will be sorely missed by her dog Harley.

A burial service will be held at a later date at the Quaker Burial Ground across from the Town Hall in Portsmouth.

— Obituary complied by Erica Green Medley

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