Former Stuart-based Seacoast Bank CEO Dennis 'Cork' Hudson Jr. dies at 92

Dennis Sherwood Hudson Jr., a longtime former CEO of Seacoast Bank in Stuart that was founded by his father, died on Sunday, April 5. 

"Cork" Hudson was 6 years old when his father founded First National Bank in 1930 in Okeechobee, which was moved to Stuart three years later and became the Citizens Bank of Stuart. He worked in the family business for over 40 years. 

Hudson served three years in the Army, including 18 months in Korea, before starting at his father's bank in 1954 as a loan officer. His career plans were never in doubt, he told TCPalm in 1998. 

"There was nothing else to do in Stuart, so you followed in your father's footsteps, unless you were smart enough to find a reasonable job in another state,'' the then-70-year-old said.

Hudson took over as president of First National in 1969 after his father died and served as president until 1973.

By 1983, First National's shareholders formed Seacoast, a holding company with the bank as its sole asset. Hudson guided the bank as it launched 24-hour ATM services, check cards, electronic payments and transfers, and grew from one bank to a Treasure Coast-wide business.

For much of Hudson’s career, Seacoast Bank had one office and was the only bank operating in Stuart. Over time, the bank expanded across Florida and its assets grew to more than $7 billion.

Hudson retired in 1998 and enjoyed fishing, sailing and landscaping.

He could still be seen in the hallways of its corporate offices in Stuart until a few months ago as his health started to decline, a press release said.

His son, Dennis S. Hudson III, succeeded him as CEO of the company in 1998, and was named chairman of the company in 2005. He had been the bank's chairman and CEO since 1992 and the bank's president from 1998 to 2005, after serving in various positions with the company and the bank since 1978.

“My father gave us the character and values that define our team and our purpose at Seacoast Bank,” Denny S. Hudson, III, said in a press release. It’s difficult to express how much his legacy means to the bank. It’s impossible for me to tell you how much we’ll miss him.”

Cork’s wife, Anne Hudson, passed away in 2010. He is survived by his brother Dale, and his children, Dennis S. Hudson, III, Dana L. Houck, Suzanne M. Beeker and Andrew B. Hudson as well as 12 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Hudson's service has yet to be scheduled, according to Aycock Funeral Home. Anyone interested in staying updated can visit its website, dignitymemorial.com. 

Catie Wegman is a community reporter who also produces "Ask Catie," an occasional feature to find answers to your burning questions about anything and everything — the more bizarre the better. Support her work with a TCPalm subscription. Contact her at catie.wegman@tcpalm.com or 772-221-4211 and follow her @Catie_Wegman on Twitter and @catiewegman1 on Facebook.