[img]1305|right|Andy Weissman||no_popup[/img]“A doer not a talker,” City Councilman Andy Weissman said this morning of his oldest friend, the coach-businessman-Parks Commissioner Rick Hudson, who died of a heart attack on Saturday while hiking in New Mexico.
Not much for verbiage, Mr. Hudson was known for leaping into every situation in his varied community career to bring order and happiness where an education was needed.
That was the tone of tributes coming in as news spread of the popular Mr. Hudson’s death.
Mr. Weissman, two-term Councilman and longtime activist within the walls of City Hall, painted a loving portrait of a compatriot.
In the mid-1950s, the old days, Mr. Weissman and Mr. Hudson attended nearly forgotten Culver City Elementary, on the Irving Place site of the present-day Lin Howe Elementary before the old classrooms were razed.
“I am not sure I have known anyone longer than I have known Rick,” said Mr. Weissman.
“Nobody could ever say a bad word about Rick. All he wanted to do was give back to the community.
“I am all about giving back to the community,” said the Councilman, “and Rick and I shared that same spirit.
“He was always involved in one activity or another.
“When he was younger, Rick was into car club activities.
“Later in life, he was involved in the schools, involved in coaching, involved in service clubs.
“He took an active participatory role in all of the things that the Exchange Club does, the Car Show, the Fourth of July Fireworks, Fiesta La Ballona, Culver City Booster Club.”
Mr. Weissman needed to pause.
“You name the non-profit and Rick Hudson was there,” he said.
“As I said, Rick was very much a doer, not a talker.”
