Remembering Dave Tudor

The County Line

Hamilton County’s premier political junkie, Dave Tudor, died Wednesday. I use that term “junkie” in a respectful sense, and I think Dave would agree that is what he was. He was actually also a longtime attorney in Noblesville, but his first love and passionate hobby was Republican politics.

I knew Dave for more than 40 years. I knew if I mentioned the name of an Indiana politician, Republican or Democrat, we would talk (or in my case, listen) for 20 minutes while Dave gave the history of the subject. He seemed to know them all.

Dave never held elective office. He ran for state representative twice and for county Republican chairman once. He did not win these races, but that did not dampen his interest in politics in the slightest. He showed up at political gatherings all around central Indiana until illness in recent years prevented it.

Dave was born into a family of educators. His mother was a teacher and his father was a teacher and basketball coach, so he knew the sport well and could give you plenty of information of that too. He grew up in Westfield and later lived in Sheridan. Dave was married twice, but had no children of his own.

Following a lengthy illness, he died this week at Harbor Manor nursing facility.

At the county GOP fall dinner on Thursday, there was a moment of silence observed for Dave. That was a fitting time and well-deserved tribute to a man known to so many in county political circles.