Vance Bridges remembered as 'part of the fabric' of Summerside
A former Summerside councillor and longtime champion of the P.E.I. city is being remembered as "part of the fabric" of his community.
Vance Bridges died peacefully at South Shore Villa on Sept. 21 at age 93, according to his death notice, which calls him "the ultimate community activist and family man."
Bridges served on city council from 2006 to 2010, and was once named Summerside's citizen of the year for his decades of dedication.
"Vance was one of those guys that really loved his community," said Summerside Coun. Bruce MacDougall, who served alongside Bridges.
"He was very level-headed, but very stubborn when he needed to be. He always had the best for our community at the top of his list in whatever he did."
Bridges was born in Calgary but moved to P.E.I. with his family as a toddler and grew up in Prince County during the Great Depression.
Vance Bridges is shown at the left in this photo from the 2017 Senior Islanders of the Year ceremony. The others are Evelyn MacLure, Chris Wells, former family and human services minister Tina Mundy, former lieutenant-governor Frank Lewis, Mary Ann Nelligan and Jack Sorensen. (Province of Prince Edward Island )
He spent more than 40 years as a volunteer with the Canadian Red Cross, and served with many other organizations, including Meals on Wheels and the Summerside Lobster Carnival.
In 2017, he was recognized by the province as a Senior Islander of the Year for his volunteer work.
A voice to remember
Bridges's love for his community was so deep that he was even willing to step outside of his comfort zone from time to time, said Summerside-born Celtic singer Patricia Murray.
Patricia Murray and Vance Bridges are shown in a detail from a portrait representing their roles as Summerside shipbuilder James Muirhead and his daughter Katherine in a musical play called The Age of Sail. The artist was Maurice Bernard. (Submitted by Patricia Murray)
When Murray was a teenager, she appeared alongside Bridges in a musical play about Summerside's shipbuilding history called The Age of Sail.
Vance played shipbuilder James Muirhead and Murray portrayed his daughter Katherine.
When I saw that he had passed, it was kind of like a part of our city has left us because he was such a promoter of Summerside. — Patricia Murray
"He ha[d] a beautiful voice and he was a fantastic actor as well," Murray recalled. "Because of his love of Summerside and the history and the community, I'm sure that's how he became part of it."
Murray noted that Bridges used his vocal cords as a member of the choir at Trinity United Church as well. His passion for music and his city also led Bridges to serve on the board of the College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts of Canada, in addition to numerous other organizations in the Summerside area.
Travelled the world
Bridges sold life insurance and worked as an agent at Linkletter Travel before becoming the owner and operator of Variety Tours.
The death notice said Vance and his wife Sheila, who passed away in January, "travelled together throughout their marriage, seeing more of the world than most Islanders ever dream of."
'He just really was a great ambassador of our community,' Summerside-born Celtic singer Patricia Murray said of Bridges. (Submitted)
"He was a part of the fabric of Summerside. He just really was a great ambassador of our community," Murray said.
"When I saw that he had passed, it was kind of like a part of our city has left us, because he was such a promoter of Summerside."
A wake for Bridges will be held Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m. at East Prince Funeral Home and Chapel, with a funeral service Thursday at 11 a.m. at Trinity United Church in Summerside.
In lieu of flowers, his family is asking Islanders to make donations to a charity of their choice.
