David Lee Bridges, born June 2, 1955, in Fort Worth, Texas, lived a full, joyful life as a man of faith; caring husband; loving father and grandfather; and faithful public servant until he died in a car accident in Royse City on July 25, 2020.
The second of four children born to Weldon and Lynn Bridges, David grew up in Alba, TX. He graduated third in his class from Rains High School in Emory, TX. He worked hard in school, playing tackle on the Rains High offensive line, earning his Eagle Scout, and working the fields hauling hay. After graduating, David joined the U.S. Army in 1973 where he worked as an electrician. He received an honorable discharge in 1975.
He worked at the General Electric plant in Tyler, TX putting himself through school at Tyler Junior College and the University of Texas at Tyler where he earned his bachelor’s degree in political science. After graduation, David took a year to work as a petroleum landman leasing mineral rights in the Appalachian Mountain range and left his job as crew chief to attend Texas Tech School of Law in 1981. David graduated with his Juris Doctorate in 1984 and returned to his roots in East Texas to serve justice as an attorney. He was an Assistant District Attorney in Upshur and Smith Counties and served as the lead prosecutor in numerous criminal cases in East Texas.
After five years of practicing law, David joined the State Bar of Texas as an attorney where he helped to ensure the integrity of the Texas legal system through his prosecution of errant lawyers. In 1988, David assumed the position of Senior Trial Attorney for the State Bar and moved with his family to Rockwall, TX in 1990. In 1991, David was named First Assistant in Charge of Litigation for the State Bar of Texas. In 1996, David was sworn into the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas, TX. He held his seat for nearly 24 years. In his time on the Court, he wrote more than 2,000 opinions. Before he passed away, David was pursuing the nomination to become the U.S. Congressman for Texas’ 4th Congressional District.
A devout man of faith, David was a member of First Baptist Church of Rockwall and served in the infant nursery and as an assistant librarian in the church library nearly every Sunday for more than 25 years. David was a man of principle and was known at home and in the public eye as a man of the highest integrity. His kindness, smile, and frequent laugh instantly warmed any room he walked into, and he always leaped into action to help those in need–friend, family, or stranger.
David is survived by his wife Sandra, daughters Elizabeth and husband Travis and Alexandra and fiancé Jeremiah, his two grandchildren Everett and Miles, and his siblings Joe, Sharon, and Weldon.
He is preceded in death by his parents Weldon and Lynn Bridges.
David lived his life like his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, a servant leader: loving, caring, and purpose-driven. He is dearly missed, and his memory will be cherished forever by friends and family alike.
A night of remembrance will be held at Rest Haven Funeral Home (2500 State Highway 66 East, Rockwall, TX 75087) from 6-8pm on Friday, July 31st. The memorial service will be held at First Baptist Church of Rockwall (610 S Goliad St, Rockwall, TX 75087) on Saturday, August 1st, at 2pm. David will be buried on Thursday July 30th at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin, TX in a private ceremony.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to a GoFundMe page setup to help pay for Alex’s Masters in Public Health degree which was a great pride of David’s. The link to GoFundMe is – https://www.gofundme.com/f/alex-bridges039-grad-school-fund
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