Bernard "Mickey" Bridger

Bernard L. "Mickey" Bridger, 74, of Jonesboro, passed from this life on Tuesday, September 3, 2019, at his home in Jonesboro.

Mickey was born in Jonesboro on December 13, 1944, to William S. and Helen Marie McGuire Bridger, and lived most of his life here. He attended Blessed Sacrament School through the eighth grade then transferred to Annie Camp Junior High. Mickey was a 1963 graduate of Jonesboro High School and a graduate of Arkansas State University where he was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. He was an U.S. Air Force veteran.

Following graduation from ASU, Mickey began a career in management with Dillard's Department Stores, managing stores in Jonesboro, North Little Rock and Little Rock. Following retail, Mickey returned to Jonesboro and entered the credit counseling profession, working for Liberty Bank and other financial institutions. He remained in the finance and credit service business until retirement.

Mickey was a life-member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church and was very earnest and consistent in visiting the sick, infirmed and shut-ins of the church and community. He was often seen in the area hospitals and nursing facilities visiting numerous people on a weekly basis.
He has helped to chair the church fall festival at Blessed Sacrament for over 20 years, and served as head of the ministry. Mickey has served on the churches board for many years and is a Eucharistic minister and was one of the first ones given this role in Arkansas.

Mickey was on the local and state board for special Olympics and Eunice Kennedy Scriber gave him an award for implementing a program that was adopted world-wide to get games sped up in the track and field competition. He was the official starter for all races and ran 75% of them with the kids because they were afraid of the gun or just wouldn't run so he ran with them to encourage them.

In 1996 Mickey was given a March of Dimes plaque for raising the most money in the state for 6 years in a row and in 1996 raised the most money to be 92nd of over 92,000 walkers in the USA.

Mickey won the Mr. Eagle contest for 8 straight years for his charity involvement. For fifteen years he has been on the Jonesboro Community Thanksgiving meal program. As an original founder feeding over 1200 people who are homeless, poor, or shut ins, and has a team that drives the meals to the shut ins, and take food to area hospitals ER waiting rooms to families that can't leave their loved ones.

Mickey volunteered at Helping Neighbors food pantry for 8 years feeding the needy. He won the UCP award for most money raised.

Mickey has volunteered with Jonesboro Jaycees and City youth ministries feeding the needy, and was on the startup group of Make A Wish. He donated yearly to St. Jude Children's Hospital and Arkansas Children's Hospital, and helped 3 service groups in his church tending to the poor and have been on Church Council Board for many years.

Mickey was one of 8 persons from Northeast Arkansas and Southeast Missouri chosen in 2010 for the Triumph of the Human Spirit Award. He is chairmen of his neighborhood organization serving as chairman since 1994 when it started. He raised enough money by himself to build a memorial to 4 past fallen police men & women. The memorial garden has rosebushes, azaleas, trees and a concrete sitting bench. The project was done as Heidi's Garden, to honor a police woman from the neighborhood who had died and 3 others.

Mickey also gives annually to Jaycees T for Tots and this year challenged others to give too. Our community will definitely be at a loss without Mr. Mickey Bridger. He has a servants heart. He is a "yes" man and a good friend to so many in Northeast Arkansas.

Survivors include one sister, Carolyn Stewart of Biloxi, Mississippi and one brother, Dr. Mike Bridger of Montgomery, Alabama, as well as nieces, nephews, cousins and others who mourn Mickey's passing.

A funeral mass for Mickey will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, November 2, 2019, at the Newman Catholic Center, 2800 E. Johnson Ave., Jonesboro, AR, with Father Francis Madanu officiating. Members of the TKE fraternity at ASU will serve as honorary pallbearers. Private burial will follow in Holy Cross Cemetery with Emerson Funeral Home in charge of arrangements. Visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. until service time.

For lasting memorials, the family asks that consideration be given to the charity of the donor's choice.