Robert Burris Bridges

in Kansas City from complications of Parkinson's Disease whose early symptoms began in 1994.

Bob was born in Morningside Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, September 27,1934. He attended Eliot

Elementary School and Cascia Hall Prep School both in Tulsa and received his Bachelor's Degree in

Economics from the University of Tulsa. While there, he was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity.

Bob went on to what he thought would be a career with Tidewater Oil Company in Tulsa where his

father had been an executive for many years. They were sold to Getty Oil Company, and the Tulsa

corporate headquarters were closed. He moved to Kansas City to work for Century Oil Company, a

part of Panhandle Eastern Pipeline at the time, and where several other former Tidewater executives

were working.

After coming to Kansas City, he eventually settled in the Human Resources Department of the City of

Kansas City, MO in the Training Department. He subsequently qecame the Assistant Director of

Training and Development and went on to be Director of Training and Development for many years. He

retired from the City in 1989 to manage family investments.

He was baptized and confirmed at Trinity Episcopal Church in Tulsa, OK, and after coming to Kansas

City was a long time member of St Paul's Episcopal Church. From 1996 until his death, he was a

member of St Andrew's Episcopal Church.

Bob was extremely proud of his Chickasaw Indian Nation heritage which went back for many years on

his father's side. His cousin, Neil McCaleb of Oklahoma City, in 2001, became President George Bush's

Assistant Secretary of Labor and was head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. McCaleb was inducted into

the Chickasaw Nation Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2014. He currently

serves as the Chickasaw Nation Ambassador at Large to the United States.

Through his mother, on her paternal side, Bob was a direct blood descendent of Robert II, first King of

Scotland in the 14th Century, and on her maternal side of the family he was a direct blood descendant

of the Welsh monarchy which dates back to well before the time of Christ to 500 BC. With the

marriage of one of his Scottish descendants to the French Royal Family, he was also a far removed

cousin of his partner, Bernie Jones, through Bernie's lineage to the French Royal Family.

Bob was predeceased by his parents, Marion Francis Bridges and Helen Blevens Bridges, his brother,

William Blevens Bridges, his sister and brother-in-law, Marilyn Bridges Galbraith and William Daniel

Galbraith and his niece, Ronda Galbraith Ratcliff.

He is survived by his lifelong cousin, friend and partner of over 57 years, Bernard Allen Jones, Kansas

City, his niece Linda Galbraith, Tulsa, OK, nephews Joseph Francis Galbraith, Tulsa, OK, William Bridges

Galbraith and his wife Judy Bussell Galbraith, Gaithersburg, MD and eleven great nieces and nephews.

He is also survived by his second family from Bernard Jones - sister Marilyn Jones Rackard, RN, MSN,

Nashville, TN and niece Diane Sauseda, Franklin, TN.

Cremation with private inurnment will be at Trinity Episcopal Church, Tulsa, OK in the Columbarium of

the Chapel of the Good Shepherd. A Celebration of Bob's Life will be held at Saint Luke's Bishop

Spencer Place, Chapel of the Epiphany, 4301 Madison Avenue, Kansas City, MO at a later date.

Memorials may be made to the Parkinson's Foundation, Heartland Chapter, 8900 State Line Road,

Suite 320, Leawood, Kansas 66206 or online at parkinson.org/heartland, and select donate tab.