William Parham Bridges, III

William Parham Bridges, III, 64, of Gulfport passed away Sunday, December 23, 2012 at his home. He was born in Jackson, Ms. He graduated from Gulfport East High School in 1968 and then served in the Mississippi Air National Guard. He joined the Gulfport Police Department in 1970 and retired in 1990 as Chief of the Detective Division with a rank of Captain. He then began work at the MS Regional Housing Authority in 1991 as an investigator and retired in 2011. Parham had many interests including photography, fishing and computing, HAM radio, animals, radio controlled airplanes, politics, and military history. His passion was marksmanship. He taught many people how to shoot and handle firearms safely. He was a Patron member of the National Rifle Association. He also served as President and was the current Vice-President of the South Mississippi Gun Association. He was preceded in death by his mother, Virginia Danehower Gregory; and a brother, Kendall Danehower Gregory. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Paula “Patty” Bridges; two sons, William Parham Bridges, IV and his wife Robin Marshall Bridges and Charles Christopher Bridges and his wife, Rachel Lynn Bridges, all of Gulfport; his father, William Parham Bridges, Jr. of Jackson; six brothers, Roderick Rhodes Bridges of Charlottesville, South Carolina, John Harley Gregory of Memphis, TN David Parham Bridges of Jackson, Tad Bratton Bridges of Ocean Springs, Grier Joseph Gregory of Baton Rouge, LA, and Thomas Decatur Gregory of Dowington, PA; two sisters, Ashley Isabelle Bridges of Jackson, and Virginia “Sister” Gregory of Pass Christian; and three grandchildren, Shane Timothy Marshall, Tabitha Robin Bridges, and Nolan Parham Bridges, all of Gulfport. The funeral service is Friday, December 28, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. at Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home, O’Neal Road, Gulfport with visitation beginning at 12:00 p.m. Interment follows at Floral Hills Memorial Gardens in Gulfport. View and sign register book at www.bradfordokeefe.com