Ted was born in Willow Springs, Missouri on November 29, 1927, to John Thomas Bridges, Sr. and Anna Isabelle Dunning-Smith (Bridges). At the age of 18 Ted enlisted in the United States Army Air Corp. He was stationed in Fort Richardson, Alaska where he worked as a radio mechanic, working his way up to Sergeant before his discharge in 1949.
Ted met the love of his life, Rosalie (Payne) Bridges when he hitched a ride on a school bus while making his way home from the service. They were married in the fall of 1949, starting their married life in Kansas City before eventually moving to Adrian Missouri where they built their own house. They had four children, JoAnn, Lynn (deceased), Theresa (deceased), and David along with adopting Lynn's daughter Danielle after her death.
Ted provided for his family by working at Westinghouse, and then Bendix before quitting in 1964 to pursue his dream of owning and operating his own business. He purchased a service station in Adrian, Ted's Apco, which he ran until his retirement in 1993. Along with operating his business, he was a founding member of Calvary Baptist Church in Adrian, sponsored a little league baseball team for many years, and served as fire chief for the volunteer fire department.
Ted was preceded in death by his father, John Thomas Bridges, his mother Anna Isabelle Dunning (Bridges), five brothers, five sisters, and his daughters Lynn and Theresa. Survivors include his wife Rosalie, his children JoAnn, David, and Danielle, along with seven grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren
