Gary Alan Bridges loved people. He spent his life in service to God, his family, his friends, his country, and his work. Gary died on Saturday, January 25, 2025.
Gary was born in Chicago, IL on June 16, 1941, to his loving parents, Gaston Bridges and Elise (Legg) Bridges who had moved there to find work. They came home to North Alabama for Christmas that year and found that Reynolds Aluminum was starting up production. Gaston was picked out of a crowd of men and was hired that day to work for Reynolds.
Gary grew up in Tuscumbia, AL, playing baseball, basketball, and football for Deshler High School. He recently celebrated 65 years (1959) with his classmates, who he spoke with regularly.
Gary was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers at 18 years old, attending Spring Training in Vero Beach, FL. Gary returned home and studied accounting at Florence State College (UNA) as an ROTC member.
Gary met the love of his life, Margie Ellen Wilson, at church when he was in high school, and they started dating when he returned from Florida. They wed on March 16, 1962, and were married over 55 years when she passed away in January 2019.
Gary and Margie had the first two of their three children (Stephen, 1963, and Allison, 1965) by 1965, when Gary was sent with the Fort Bragg, NC, military intelligence unit to Saigon, Vietnam.
He returned at the end of his full-time service with the Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and other awards in June 1966. Gary and Margie then moved with their children to Huntsville, AL, where they made many friends at the Mayfair Church of Christ.
They moved back to Florence in 1970 where Gary worked as a CPA in hospital administration and did some farming on the side. Their children grew to three with the birth of their daughter, Julie, in 1976. Gary served as an elder for the Darby Drive church for many years, spending much of his time there teaching and working in the bus ministry. They traveled to assist Christian ministries in Georgia, Trinidad, India, Malaysia, and Singapore. They moved to Clarksville, TN, in the 1990s and eventually to Bowling Green, KY, for his work. In 2020, one year after Margie’s passing, he settled in Donelson, TN, to be near Stephen and Julie.
Gary started hunting with his daddy, granddaddy, uncles, and cousins when he was three years old. He continued hunting with his brothers, Joey and Darwin, and then his son, Stephen, his grandsons, sons by marriage, nephews, and many many special friends until his last day of hunting on Friday, January 24, 2025. Gary passed away that night in his sleep.
Gary was preceded in death by his loving wife, parents, and brother, Joey Bridges.
He is survived by his adoring children, Stephen and Lori (Sutton) Bridges, Allison (Bridges) and John Pitsinos, and Julie (Bridges) and Brian Hamilton; his beloved grandchildren, Spencer and Allison (Rogers) Bridges, Kate (Bridges) and Austin Dove, Heath and Julie (Plunket) Bridges, Zoe Grace Pitsinos, Max Elias Pitsinos, Lukas Daniel Pitsinos, Ansley Evelyn Hamilton, Brycen Wilson Hamilton and Olivia Elyse Hamilton; and precious great-grandchildren, Russell Alan Bridges, Roman Scott Bridges, Olivia Ruth Bridges, Margaret Frances Dove, Bowen Austin Dove and Beck Bridges Dove; and his brother, Darwin and JoAnn (Fielder) Bridges, his brother Joey’s wife, Wanda (Isom) Bridges, his baby sister, Susan (Bridges) and Jay Davis (deceased), aunts, uncle, cousins, nephews, and nieces.
Pallbearers will be beloved grandsons, Spencer Bridges, Heath Bridges, Max Pitsinos, Luke Pitsinos, Brycen Hamilton, and Austin Dove.
The visitation will be held Wednesday, January 29, 2025, from noon – 2:00 p.m. at Donelson Church of Christ, 2706 Old Lebanon Road, Nashville, TN. The funeral service will be held Wednesday, January 29, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. also at Donelson Church of Christ. Woodbine Funeral Home, Hickory Chapel, Nashville, TN, 615-331-1952.
