SOUTH HADLEY — Town Meeting members listened intently earlier this month as the accomplishments of this year’s Citizen of the Year were read out by Know Your Town member Linda Young.

This year’s awardee is a Town Meeting member and a former Select Board member. He’s volunteered for Make a Difference Day, South Hadley Neighborhood Associations and Neighbors helping Neighbors. He is pioneering South Hadley’s first historical district around the Old Firehouse Museum as chair of the South Haldey Historical Commission Chair and vice chair of the Historic District Study Committee.

All these details narrowed the recipient down to one person, yet event that person still had no clue who the honor would go to.

“It was funny because when Linda Young started reading what this person had been involved in, I first thought ‘wait a minute, who is that person? I can’t remember who that person is?’ and then all of a sudden it dawned on me,” said Robert G. Judge as his name was called.

The Citizens of the Year Award recognizes one South Hadley resident for outstanding community service. The recipient is nominated by the residents of South Hadley, and is presented at Town Meeting alongside a Volunteer of the Year Award, which this year went to South Hadley High School lacrosse coach Patrick Dawson. The South Hadley Lions Club started the honor 74 years ago, but when that club folded last year, Know Your Town took over the honors. Know Your Town, founded in 1947, is a nonpartisan organization that seeks to acquaint townspeople with the resources South Hadley has to offer and the various issues and functions of town government.

Know Your Town presented Judge with the award for his political service to town and advocacy for preserving South Hadley’s history.

“Whether they are in their 80s like myself or the younger people, people know who Bob Judge is because he reaches out and touches (different) generations of people in the community. I think that’s what makes him unique and special to all of us,” Young said.

Judge’s personal and family history are deeply intertwined with South Hadley. Judge grew up in the Falls area of town, learning about the historical canal that once filled industrial development in the neighborhood. His grandfather and great-grandfather both served on the Select Board, and his grandmother volunteers with Know Your Town and the local Girl Scout troop. Their community involvement would inspire Judge’s own service years later, including serving on the Select Board from 2008 to 2012.

While history has always been a fascination of his, Judge finds himself particularly drawn to South Hadley’s history and the two institutions that put the town on the map: Mount Holyoke College and South Hadley Canal. The historically women’s liberal arts college brought young students from around the country to western Massachusetts. Equally important is the creation of the first navigatable canal in the United States, which opened in 1795 and propelled South Hadley into a center of industry.

“Being exposed to those things growing up here, you realize how important those are to people and so you want to see them preserved, you want to see them restored and the history kept for (others) in the way it was kept for me,” Judge said.

His passion would lead Judge to join the Historical Commission first in 2007 and then again after he left the Select Board. In 2007, Judge helped secure a grant to study South Hadley Falls and the specific properties that could qualify for a historical district. He’d join the Historic District Study Committee to follow up on the results of that grant.

In collaboration with Melissa Taylor, chair of the Historic District Study Committee and Diane Laroche, chair of the Trustees of the Old Firehouse Museum, Judge wrote a proposal for the first historical district in South Hadley, which will be released sometime this summer.

“It’s his work on the Historical Commission, I think, that was the tipping scale in getting this award. We don’t tend to look back to where we come from, and Bob forces us to do that,” Young said.

Yet Judge’s reputation extends past his positions and titles. Minister at First Congregational Church Lori Sounder met Judge 16 years ago when she took over as minister, and has since seen Judge’s humility, friendliness and humor shine through. Without prompting, he greets everyone at the door and directs the flow of attendees. When Sounders heard Judge’s name called at Town Meeting, she acknowledged the committee chose the right person.

“(Bob Judge) wants the very best for South Hadley. He exudes the very best. There’s not an arrogant bone in his body,” Sounder said.

Despite receiving such a high honor, Judge remains humble.

“The people who have been named (Citizen of the Year) before are a terrific group of town residents. To be in their company, it just makes one proud to be added to a list of fine people,” Judge said. “It’s a great honor and I’ll really treasure it for all of my days.”

Emilee Klein can be reached at eklein@gazettenet.com.