Mr. Arthur Mac Bridgeforth

The Journey: Arthur Mac Bridgeforth was born on January 30,1937 in Dundas, Virginia to French Beaches Bridgeforth and Carry Ida Lee (Blackwell) Bridgeforth who both preceded him in death. He was the oldest of four children, three boys and a girl. He started out early working on the rural Virginia farm where his father was a sharecropper raising tobacco. He also attended primary school in Brunswick County, Virginia. It was in-between doing his chores and during school that Arthur, who was known as Mac, developed a love for reading and a curiosity of the world outside of Dundas. He always credited his mother for encouraging him to go to school. He would go on to attend Lunenberg High School where he was a fine student and also played on the football team. After graduating in 1956, Arthur went on to attend the then Virginia State College in Petersburg, Virginia. There he majored in electronics and industrial arts. Arthur also was involved in the Army ROTC in which he also became part of the Pershing Rifles drill team. Arthur graduated from Virginia State in 1960 and taught high school briefly at his alma mater in Dundas, before accepting an officer's commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Arthur loved the time he spent in the military. Among other things, it took him to some of the places he read about as a child. Shortly after entering the Army, Arthur was sent to Germany. It was in Germany where he met and married the former Gwendolyn Holland. Two children would come from that union, Arthur Bridgeforth Jr. and Craig Bridgeforth. Other places the Army took him were New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Arizona and he spent a year fighting in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Arthur resigned from the U.S. Army in 1968 and had attained the rank of captain. He took a civilian job as a buyer with Ford Motor Co. at its Dearborn headquarters that same year and moved to Detroit. Throughout his professional career, Arthur would work a few jobs in sales and purchasing. His last job was with the Detroit Public Schools in the purchasing department. He would retire from DPS in 2008. When Arthur wasn't working, he was always keeping an eye on the boys as they were known collectively, or Butch and Craig individually. To his boys Arthur was simply known as "My Daddy." Truly a unique moniker, but one that fit. Even after his divorce in the early 70s, Arthur kept regular contact with his sons. Even when they moved for a couple years to California. He was always in contact. They were truly his pride and joy. In fact, Arthur spread that love to his six grandsons, Chris, Trey, Nick, Gabriel, David and Adam as well. He was a constant fixture at numerous football, baseball and soccer games. School plays and programs. Whatever his grandsons were doing, Granddaddy was there. He also would occasionally pick up his grandsons up from school, and always found time to take them out for a meal and share one of his numerous stories with them. Arthur was a very social person. He had a number of friends who he would spend time with at social events or countless hours in phone conversations. A loyal friend, he was always helping someone out or offering his sage advice. He was the same way with his three siblings including Dorothy and Elroy Bridgeforth who both preceded him in death, and other family members. Among his passions, were reading, history, golfing, jazz music, food, traveling, dressing to impress and gadgets. He didn't let being in his 70s keep him from owning a laptop, iPod or an iPad. Arthur enjoyed the early years of his retirement, traveling and attending homecoming events at his beloved alma mater Virginia State and class reunions back home. He even became a member of a new church started by some of his friends known as the Empowerment Church in Southfield. In the last couple years of his life, Arthur was faced with a number of health challenges that slowed his activities and eventually required him to move from a more independent setting to a senior apartment. On the afternoon of May 17, 2016, Arthur peacefully departed this life at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. He was 79. He was preceded in death by his youngest son Craig.

Mr. Arthur Mac Bridgeforth

January 30, 1937 - May 17, 2016