NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. -- Fordham University Hall of Fame inductee and East Coast water polo icon Francis X. Judge passed away on Sunday evening at the age of 80.

A longtime New Rochelle Resident and former New Rochelle City Councilman, Judge died on April 29, 2012. He was 80.

Francis was born on April 6, 1932 in Brooklyn, to the late Francis X. and Anne (Mahoney) Judge. He graduated from Fordham University and New York University School of Dentistry. He received his certification Orthodontics from Columbia University and had a private practice for over 40 years. He served on the New Rochelle City Council for 12 years. Francis was an avid water polo player who won the National Championships twice with his New York Athletic Club (NYAC) teammates.  He started the water polo program at Fordham University where he went on to coach the team. He was in inducted into the Fordham University Hall of fame in 1985.

"Francis Judge was a driving force behind the sport of water polo at Fordham," said Executive Director of Athletics, Frank McLaughlin. "The program would not be where it is today if he didn't dedicate himself to it when he first arrived at Rose Hill in 1949. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family for their loss."

As a freshman in 1949, Judge brought the sport of Water Polo back to Fordham, serving as a player-coach. He finished his four-year undergraduate stint with a 9-5 overall record and an Eastern Championship.

As a member of the New York Athletic Club, Judge won two national championships and participated in the Olympic Trials in 1952. Following two years in dental school at NYU, Judge returned to coach at his alma mater, turning a 3-16 team into a 14-5 squad one season later. He was in inducted into the Fordham University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1985.

Fordham water polo runs in the Judge family as his son, Christopher, also played water polo at Fordham and was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996, and his grandson, Alex, is a current member of the team.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Emilie M. (Winson). And their 11 children: Stephen, Margaret (Thomas) Hickey, Christopher (Alison), Loretta, Gregory (Cynthia), Matthew, Raymond (Christine), Timothy (Kimberly), Emilie, Michael (Grace) and Kevin (Pina); his 20 grandchildren; his sister Marla O’Reilly and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sister Sheila Egan.

Visiting hours will be Wednesday 4-8pm at Lloyd Maxcy and Sons Beauchamp Chapel 16 Shea Place, New Rochelle. A Funeral Mass is scheduled for Thursday 10:30am at Holy Family Church. Interment will follow at St. Francis DeSales Cemetery in Elka Park, N.Y.

Obituary courtesy Lloyd Maxcy & Sons Beauchamp Chapel, Inc. & Fordham University Athletics