Hartford Superior Court Judge Kevin Dubay's peers and friends expressed shock Monday over his sudden death during a family vacation.

Dubay was 65 years old.

The judge was vacationing on the Caribbean island of Anguilla with his family and the family of his longtime friend, Hartford attorney Steven Seligman, as he often did. He died Friday on the beach in Shoal Bay after snorkeling, Seligman said.

Remembered as a "consummate professional," and a jurist with an encyclopedic memory, Dubay was a mentor to other judges. He also had a passion for cooking and sports.

Dubay was in private practice until he became Hartford's corporation counsel in 1996. He then rose to the bench in 2001, presiding in Hartford Superior Court.

"I was so proud of the kind of judge he was," Seligman said. "He was always prepared. He enhanced the dignity of the courtroom."

Seligman met Dubay at the University of Connecticut Law School, where they were part of the 1979 graduating class.

"He was even-tempered and polite to everyone—the attorneys, court personnel and jurors," Seligman said. "In every trial someone is disappointed. But I seriously doubt that anyone ever walked out of his courtroom saying, 'The judge was biased.' No one ever said that about him."

'Kevin will know the answer'

Attorney Robert Reardon Jr. agreed.

The Reardon Law Firm principal knew Dubay when the judge was still in private practice, and has since had dozens of cases before the jurist. He found the judge "had a real appreciation of what trial lawyers and their clients had to go through in order to resolve a case."

In one instance, Reardon represented clients suing the Norwich Diocese over alleged sexual abuse. Dubay presided over the case for years.

"He knew the case before you ever met him for the first time," Reardon said. "He read the case file thoroughly, and expected the lawyers to be prepared as well. You always got a fair shake from him, as he was friendly to everyone he dealt with. He never personalized a case. He always dealt with cases professionally and in an evenhanded way."

Reardon said the diocese presented an aggressive defense, and the judge worked hard to ensure a speedy resolution.

"He knew that justice delayed meant justice denied," Reardon said.

Hartford Superior Court Judge Cesar Noble considered Dubay a mentor. While Noble has been on the Hartford bench for five years, he's known Dubay for 38.

"He was … always ready to answer questions on difficult cases and difficult procedures," Noble said. "His knowledge of the law was unparalleled, and his memory was like an encyclopedia. Whenever a question about a factoid would come up, we'd all say, 'Kevin will know the answer.' And no matter how obscure, he usually knew the answer."

Meanwhile, Seligman said Dubay will be best known for his "friendship, loyalty and for his commitment to his craft and justice." But the judge was a complex man with many interests outside the courtroom.

"He was a well-rounded guy," Seligman said. "We both shared a passion for cooking. He enjoyed coming up with an idea for a meal. He loved to shop at the grocery and to get the ingredients. He also loved talking to the meat cutter and the produce guy. He was great with a knife and a saute pan. He loved to serve food to others and he really enjoyed getting the praise."

Seligman also described his friend as passionate about two sports teams.

"The only arguable flaw with Kevin Dubay's personality was that he was a Yankees fan, even during the George Steinbrenner era," Seligman quipped, adding that the judge was also "a long-suffering New York Giants fan."