Funeral service for Richard Joe Bridge, age 79, of Manitou will be held at 3:00 p.m., Saturday,  October 8, 2016 at the Jackson Funeral Home Chapel in Frederick with Rev. Paul Beam officiating. Burial will follow in the Fairlawn Cemetery in Snyder, Oklahoma under the direction of Jackson Funeral Home. Mr. Bridge passed away on Tuesday, October 4, 2016 in a Lawton hospital.

Richard Joe Bridge as born December 31, 1936 in Springlake, Texas to Joe Weldon Bailey Bridge and Robbie Edwards Bridge. Joe grew up in Springlake and graduated from high school in Olton, Texas in 1955. He later married Patsy Ann Queary on November 15, 1958. Joe and Pat were just 42 days short of their 58 ^th wedding anniversary.

Joe was a veteran in the United States Army serving 3 years as a Specialist 4. He enjoyed flying airplanes. He started out flying radio control airplanes and then graduated to having a pilot's license and owning his own Cessna 150. He also enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, square dancing, golfing, going to rodeos and yelling at the TV when the Dallas Cowboys were playing.

Joe retired in 1999 from Phillips Petroleum Company in Bartlesville. He was an electrician, instrument man, technician and estimator. He also was pretty handy working on cars and pickups which created a whole new vocabulary. There wasn't much he couldn't do with his hands. He could pretty much rebuild anything. Joe enjoyed watching his son Jerry play football and later on rodeo and fighting bulls. He and Pat loved to just load up, take off and go see the country. He was always a do'er and never a wisher. If he put his mind to it, it got done. He was raised old school and you always knew it when he looked you in the eye and gave you a firm handshake. Joe and Pat were member of the First Baptist Church of Tipton, Oklahoma. He was also a member of the Mangum Masonic Lodge #61

Joe is survived by his wife, Patsy of the home in Manitou, OK, his son, Jerry Mac Bridge of Tulsa, OK, his grandson, Riggen Kade Wickham of Perry, OK and several cousins, nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by parents, Joe Weldon Bailey Bridge and Robbie Edwards Bridge; one brother, Robert Weldon Bridge, one sister, Helen Bridge and his paternal and maternal grandparents.