A full military service will be held at Carillon Chapel Thursday, June 6, 2019, at 2PM with Pastor Jared Bridge and Reverend Judy Shema officiating. Interment will follow at Resthaven Memorial Park.
William Louis Bridge was born November 1, 1930 in Vernon, Texas to Louis and Jesse Compton Bridge. He married Grace Ann Hawkins on September 29, 1951 and they lived in Morton, Seminole, Andrews, Texas until they retired in Ruidoso, New Mexico in 1986. Bill and Grace Ann were the parents of William Louis Bridge, Jr. (Bill) and Michiel Ford Bridge (Mike). He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Addie Faye Goodsell and Roye Cormany Morgan, his wife, Grace Ann Bridge in 2002, and his step son Bruce Robins.
Bill graduated from Lubbock High School in 1949 and attended Texas Tech University 1950-1951 on a football scholarship until he was drafted into the United States Army in 1951 and did his basic training at Fort Ord in California. He was wounded in action while deployed in Korea and spent 5 months recovering in a hospital in Tokyo, Japan. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. Upon returning to the United States, Bill worked for H.S. Hawkins Car Dealership as a mechanic in Morton, Texas. Bill and Grace Ann moved to Seminole, Texas in 1959 where they opened their own auto repair business. In 1965, Bill and Grace Ann moved to Andrews, Texas where he became the Vocational Auto Mechanics Instruction at Andrews High School and he taught there for 21 years. They retired to Ruidoso, New Mexico where he substitute taught at the high school, worked for the United States Forest Service where he served as a fire spotter at Monjeau Lookout, and worked 24 Years at the Ruidoso Downs Race Track and Casino in the security department. Bill married Kay Robins of Andrews, Texas on August 5, 2006 and they resided in Ruidoso, New Mexico until they moved to Carillon Retirement Center in Lubbock, Texas in August of 2018.
On his 85th birthday which was celebrated at the United Methodist Church of Ruidoso, New Mexico where he and Kay attended, the then United States Congressman and friend Steve Pearce attended and spoke these words, “The fact that he’s willing to tell his military story is extremely valuable. Our young people need to hear what it was like to serve our Country and fight for what we believe in – liberty and freedom.”
He is survived by his wife, Kay Franklin Robins Bridge of Lubbock, Texas; sons William Louis Bridge, Jr. and wife Melinda of Hereford, Texas and Michiel Ford Bridge and wife Pam of Albuquerque, New Mexico; Kay’s children Gary (Connie) Robins of Andrews, Kelly (Cliff) Wynne of Odessa, and Deirdre Robins Pool of Andrews; his grandchildren Jared (Tasha) Bridge, Ashley (Brian) Salitore, Tim (Megan R.) Bridge, Megan E. Bridge, and Coby Robins; as well as eight great grandchildren who he loved dearly; Hunter, Rebekah, Asher, Natalie, Jackson, Ryder, Lily, and Levi.
Celebration of Life Service will be held June 6, 2019, at Carillon Chapel at 2PM.
