USAF Retired Lt. Col. Oscar C. "Lee" Bridgeman

Oscar C. "Lee" Bridgeman, 87, of Albany, passed away on Tuesday at Samaritan Evergreen Hospice House.

Lee was born in Cambridge, Mass., to Oscar and Bessie (Gardiner) Bridgeman . He grew up in Palm Springs, Calif.; Washington, D.C.; and Berkley, Calif., where he graduated from High School in 1943. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps. in 1943 and completed aerial navigation school in 1944. He was discharged 1945.

Lee furthered his educations by receiving an A.B. from Harvard College in 1950 and an M.S. from Oklahoma State University in 1952.

He was then recalled to service in 1952. After serving in WWII, Korea and Vietnam, Lee retired in 1971 with honors including the Bronze Star.

Lee married Margaret "Peg" Jacobs on March 16, 1963.

Lee joined the staff of First Assembly of God in Albany as Business Administrator in 1972, and retired from that position in 1986.

Lee very much enjoyed church, family, traveling, snow-birding in Arizona, and woodcarving on Albany's carousel.


Lee is survived by wife Margaret "Peg" Bridgeman of Albany; son David Bridgeman of Portland; daughter Diane and husband John Jendresen of Salem; daughter Debbie and husband Stan Ferguson of Albany; son Douglas Bridgeman of Marietta, Ga.; grandchildren Angela and David Martin of Salem, Erik Jendresen of Chicago, Ill., April Jendresen of Bellvue, Wash., Theresa and Dan Brown of Oregon City, Hannah and Jordan Turner of Roswell, Ga., and Aimee, Nate and Luke Bridgeman, all of Marietta; four great-grandchildren; and two nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and grandson Robert Ferguson.

A private burial will take place at Palestine Cemetery. A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Albany First Assembly of God.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to First Assembly of God Missions Fund, Samaritan Evergreen Hospice, the Albany Carousel Project or Safe-Haven Humane Society.