Hon. Raymond Huber dies at 68

CLINTONVILLE – The Honorable Raymond “Ray” S. Huber passed away unexpectedly on Friday, Dec. 8 from injuries sustained in a fall.
Sources close to his family said he was in his driveway taking out the trash at home before heading to work when he slipped and fell on the ice which caused severe head trauma.
The 68-year old Waupaca County Circuit Court Judge passed away later that day at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center in Neenah from his injury.
Huber grew up on a farm in rural Clintonville. He graduated from UW-Madison Law School with honors in 1982.
After graduation, he accepted a job with Linehan Law in Wausau where he commuted and worked for three years gaining real-world experience in the field of law.
He eventually opened his own practice in the Clintonville and in 1988, became the City Attorney, a job he said added much to his experience.
Huber also served as special prosecutor for Shawano County and provided counsel to other local municipalities and the Farmers Union Milk Marketing Co-op.
His fifteen plus years of private practice and broad range of experiences prepared him for public office.
In 2000, Huber ran for Waupaca County Circuit Court Judge and won.
“Firm, fair and impartial” is three words Huber mentioned often during his campaign with a key focus on judicial temperament.
“It takes the right judicial temperament to be a judge and rule fairly,” said Huber in an interview prior to his election in 2000.
He viewed himself as an independent.
“A judge has to be available to all people and open to everyone who appears,” said Huber in a 2000 campaign interview.
Those who knew him can attest to those statements.
Longtime colleague and fellow Waupaca County Bar Association member Tom Johnson of Werner Johnson & Hendrickson Law Firm said, “Judge Huber’s passing is a real blow to the county. He made himself available for advice and counsel upon demand. He was a peach.”
“I am grateful that his father (the late Stewart Huber) noted at the judge’s investiture that Ray has the “Patience of Job,” Johnson said in reference to the biblical Job, who, after he lost everything, refused to curse God and exhibited steadfast endurance and faith during overwhelming suffering.
“I know that I tested his patience frequently and as a last resort I would cite his father for support. He is one judge who allowed me to tell him that I love him. I love you Your Honor. You will remain on my prayer list even though I threatened to suspend you when you denied motions,” said Johnson who has represented thousands of clients in Waupaca County and often fell on the opposing side of Judge Huber’s decisions.
Attorney Keith Steckbauer of Wolf River Lawyers said on Monday, “This is a huge loss. He always wanted people to make their own decision, and if that meant cajoling or strongly encouraging people to go out in the hallway and make that decision, so be it.”
While we appeared in front of him innumerable times and did not always agree that he got the decision right, he always tried to get the right decision. He did not stand on ceremony and saw cases as the people, not files,” said Steckbauer.
Retired Waupaca County Post Editor Robert Cloud covered Waupaca County Court cases for over 25 years. On Monday, he mourned the news of Huber’s passing.
“I remember him as friendly and easily approachable outside the courtroom. He had a wonderful sense of humor that he occasionally expressed from the bench. He was the only judge who sometimes wore overalls beneath his robe because he worked on his farm before coming to court,” said Cloud.
Judge Huber was also knowledgeable of the law and frequently cited precedents in his decisions.
“He was also fair and never indicated any sign of animus, even when sentencing people to prison,” said Cloud.
Huber was involved in his communities and he related with the people who sometimes stood before him. He sat on the bench of many dunk tanks, judged pie-eating contests, worked with social studies students, and was the glue of the Waupaca County Bar Association for many years.
Huber was a mentor to young lawyers. Ted Johnson, a young esquire with the Werner, Johnson and Hedrickson Law Office said one word to describe Judge Huber: “Gentle.”
“That doesn’t mean that he would be gentle in handing down harsh sentences, but he would hand them down gently. Seldom did I ever leave a courtroom and really question why Judge Huber made the decision he did,” said Johnson. “He was thorough, careful, and well thought out in everything he did. He understood the importance of his role and carried it out with dignity.”
Johnson said Huber was willing to be wrong and proven wrong through careful and thought out argument.
“He was humble,” said Johnson. “Judge Huber made everyone feel comfortable. I will miss him deeply. Not only as a familiar face at the courthouse, but as a friend.”