Judd Alan Symons was born October 9, 1967, in Sacramento, California. He is survived by his wife Regina Schuetta Symons, his sons Judd Alan Symons, Jr. (L J) and Coltin Flores, his mother Carol Symons, his sister Sally Symons and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles.  Judd was preceded in death by his father John Symons.

After moving to Bishop with his parents as a baby, Judd grew up in the Owens Valley doing all the usual things, hunting, fishing, 4-H, camping, helping with family businesses and projects. In high school, Judds true calling came to light. He began serving his community as a sheriff cadet as a teenager and obtained his EMT certification and had to wait for his 18^th birthday to get his first job with Aegis Ambulance. He was a natural in the field of EMS from the beginning, steady under pressure, focused and calming to those he helped, all while getting them to safety.

He went on to attend the Paramedic program at Stanford. In 1989, after earning his certificate Judd moved back home to Bishop and started Symons Emergency Specialties with his father and transformed EMS in the Owens Valley. It was a true family affair, with John, Carol and Sally all pitching in to help Judd build his dream. He grew the company into a multi-unit operation with two on-call crews 24 hours a day, seven days a week. While Judd worked diligently, often days and weeks on end without a break, he also took the time to shape future first responders by co-teaching the local EMT class. He was a teacher and mentor in the EMT program for years. In addition to training others, he maintained his own skills and training obtaining numerous advanced lifesaving certifications, bringing the level of field EMS care to the highest level that the area had ever seen.

Under Judds leadership Symons Emergency Specialties also donated thousands of hours of standby over a 35-year span to local events like football, rodeo, parades and more.  He saw it as his duty and privilege to protect and serve his community and was honored to do so.

Symons Emergency Specialties evolved into Symons Ambulance with satellite locations doing standby for major events like NASCAR races, concerts, festivals and many special events in Southern California. He even drove a specially outfitted off-road ambulance for a stretch of the Baja 500.

In 2023 the era of Symons Ambulance in Bishop ended when impossible governmental policies, changes in the healthcare world and other factors beyond his control overcame his small business. Judd was forced to shutter his dream of 35 years. While he saw this as a failure of sorts, it was obvious that his years of service left an indelible mark on this community and touched countless lives and families in the best way possible.

Judd continued his career with Sierra Life Flight as a flight medic, ground medic and unofficial mentor to young people just starting their EMS careers. He dedicated his life to this calling until his death on June 28, 2026.

Family was very important to Judd, and he would have told you that his greatest accomplishment was being a husband and a father. He married Regina (Gina) in 2014, becoming an instant (step) dad to Coltin, and later welcoming son LJ in 2017. While he sacrificed a lot of personal time for his community, he loved nothing more than the family he had with Gina, LJ and Coltin. He took great joy in teaching the boys about life, from operating his newly acquired skip loader, to rebuilding a car engine, camping, fishing, off-roading and more. His biggest regret would be that he didn’t have more time with the family that he loved so much.

His untimely passing leaves an unfillable hole in the hearts and lives of his family and loved ones, and a void in our community mourned by the many whose lives he touched.  An Honorable Memorial and Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, July 12 at the Bishop Elks Park. Interment will be private on a date.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Judd Alan Symons College Education Trust that has been established at Eastern Sierra Community Bank in Bishop. All funds will be placed in trust for his beloved sons to help pay for their future education. Donations can be made directly at the bank or mailed to Judd Alan Symons College Education Fund, 2800 Audrey Lane, Bishop, CA 93514.