William "Bill" Bridges

William Allen Bridges, age 77, of Winter Park, Florida passed away on March 5th, 2026.

He was born on September 27, 1948, in Akron, Ohio, to William and Dorothy.

Throughout his youth, he and his family traversed the United States due to the demands of his father’s work, moving 9 times, eventually settling in Titusville, FL, at the age of 16, where his parents had their first house built.

He was an excellent and award-winning student throughout his school years, as well as an exceptional athlete, eventually dedicating himself to the practice of football, finding his niche as both a kicker and punter, and he excelled at both. As well, he was an avid golfer. One could always find him watching ‘The Masters’ and other large tournaments when they occurred, always knowing every golfer and every necessary and appropriate golf stat.

His college years found him as a noteworthy football player at the University of Florida and Kansas State University, where he earned a degree in Psychology.

William (Billy, as his Mother called him) enjoyed a life-long and intense appreciation of music, ranging from Classical music to Jazz, focusing on the trumpet, his instrument of choice. He was an excellent trumpet player, even mastering at an early age the incredible ability to play ‘High C’ (and above) with ease and at will. He was an avid collector of antique trumpets and formed friendships around the world with other players and collectors.

His professional years were fruitful and varied, first working as a young graduate in Personnel at the Bendix Launch Support Division at Kennedy Space Center, and eventually becoming the Vice-President of Human Resources for Red Lobster, Cardinal Industries, and Cracker Barrel He was a keen and adept businessman, and desiring to be free from the corporate world, retired, fruitfully and earlier than most, at the age of 46.

For William (Bill, Dad, Pop, etc.), retirement did not entail ‘sitting on his laurels’. He was always working hard, busy improving and beautifying his home and properties, curating the land, creating beautiful paths with abandoned bricks/materials, at both his home in Winter Park and his beloved ‘Cabin’ in Boone, NC. He was especially proud of his abilities at cutting trails on the property at his North Carolina ‘Cabin’, creating order out of chaos, year after year. He simply loved setting up ‘hidden’ treasures for his grandchildren and grand-nephews/nieces to ‘discover’ as they walked his trails. He would light up when they found them!

And, for those of us who know and love him, we cannot omit his love and obsession with the Florida Spiny Lobster (Panulirus argus); hence his self-titled moniker: Lobsterman.

Over the course of almost two decades, he became an expert lobster fisherman, one of his greatest passions, and our family trips to Valhalla Beach Resort in Marathon Key, FL will not soon be forgotten.

Our William Allen Bridges, Jr. is and was noted for his sharp sense of humor, his no-nonsense approach to life, and his absolute and unfettered dedication to his family, especially his beautiful wife, Margie. She was and will always be his Queen.

He is survived by his children - Darin, Ryan, James, and Lisa as well as his grandchildren Jordan and Samuel.

At Bill’s request, services will be private

Capt Beel will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by all who knew him.

If you would like to share any memories about Bill, please place them in the guestbook for the family to cherish.