Billy R. Bridges

BRIDGES, Billy R., age 73, of Kettering, passed away on Sunday, April 23, 2023. Bill was born on May 11, 1949, in Joplin, Missouri to William Myrel Bridges and Mary Ruth Williams Bridges. He graduated from John Mosby Academy in Front Royal, Virginia, and received an AS in Business Administration from Monroe College in Middletown, Virginia.  Bill served as Senior Executive Assistant to the Chairman of the Board and liaison to the Board of Directors at Freddy Mac in Washington, D.C. Upon retiring from Freddie Mac, he opened Bridges Books and Coffeehouse in Winchester, Virginia. He moved to Ohio in 1996 and worked for Procter and Gamble as a Mergers and Acquisitions Administrator, as Assistant to the President at the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, and as Administrative Assistant of Perioperative Services at both Bethesda North Hospital in Cincinnati and Grandview Medical Center in Dayton before finally retiring in 2009.  A believer in Tibetan Buddhism, he attended Gar Drolma Buddhist Center in Dayton and the Omena Karma Kagyu Center in Omena, Michigan. With a strong interest in democratic values and political activism, Bill chaired the effort to establish a Human Right Campaign Steering Committee in Cincinnati and also worked on Howard Dean’s Presidential Campaign in Ohio. Bill was a member of AA and an inspirational sponsor. As a transplant, he came to love Dayton, Skyline, and all things Ohio. He was a foodie who loved to cook and try out new restaurants. He enjoyed Bengals football, bird watching, and loved dressing up and going out to the theatre or on the town. He cared about people, and always wanted to get people together by hosting friends and family in his home, or calling or texting when visiting wasn’t possible. An incredibly kind, compassionate, and generous man, he loved his husband and his dog Twila.  Bill was preceded in death by his parents and his brother. He is survived by his loving husband, Thomas G. Hellems; one brother, two sisters, and several nieces and nephews. The family asks that memorials may be made in Bill’s name to the charity of your choice. Memorial Services will be held at 11:00AM Monday, April 29, 2024 at Routsong Funeral Home, Kettering.