Herbert M. Bridgman Jr., 77, residing in Surprise, AZ passed away on 9/28/2022, from natural causes.
Herb was born on 7/15/1945, to Virginia (Yelland) Bridgman and Herbert M. Bridgman Sr. of Pasadena, CA.
After graduating John Muir High School in Pasadena (63) he went to Cal State LA for two years before enlisting in the US Coast Guard (65). He applied for and was accepted to flight school. He earned his wings at the Navy Flight School, Whiting Field, Pensacola, FL. After school (67) he was stationed at Coast Guard Headquarters in Long Beach, CA where he flew a Grumman HU-16 “Albatross.”
Following his honorable discharge from the service (69), Herb returned to CA State LA earning a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a master’s degree in accounting.
Herb worked as an accountant for “Ernst & Ernst” and controller for “Bob’s Big Boy” restaurant. While working as a numbers guy in California he found his true calling in life “a part time job at Turner’s gun store.”
Herb wanted to be self-employed and run a sporting goods store of his own. He was tired of the rat race and commute in California, so he started looking for a more rural lifestyle. He found it in Flagstaff, AZ in (80) where he purchased and ran Ruff’s Sporting Goods until his retirement in 2010.
Herb loved to hunt and fish; he truly enjoyed the outdoors. He loved his German Shorthair Pointers starting with “Rug Rat.” He enjoyed bird hunting, training, and breeding his pointers. He was also an accomplished skeet shooter going 100 straight several times. He also loved the water, and he kept a boat at Lake Powell where he would spend time fishing, waterskiing, and camping.
Herb was active in many groups in the Flagstaff community including Big Brothers & Sisters, The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and Ducks Unlimited. He was on the board of directors and several committees for different organizations. He also taught hunters education for the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
He was a well-known and respected member of the Flagstaff community, and he will be greatly missed by his friends and family.
Published by Arizona Daily Sun on Oct. 30, 2022.
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