Bridge, Kenneth (Age 66, Ripley)
Published on 13/11/2020
After a valiant battle with leukemia, Dr. Kenneth L. Bridge passed away peacefully on November 12, 2020 surrounded by his family.
Ken will be dearly missed by his children; Robyn Bridge (Brandon), Gordon “Sandy” Bridge (Sasha), Brian Bridge (Christine), Becca Farrell (Thomas) and his beloved partner, Bev Ponton. Grandpa Ken will also be missed by his grandchildren, Everett, Arlo, Charlotte, Evelyn, Bennett, Joseph, Regan, Arden, Paige, Olivia, Chloe and Wyatt. Ken will also be missed by family members Kerri (Jason), Miranda (Brad) and Corinn (Jay).
Born on April 27, 1954 to the late Evelyn (Avery) and Gordon Bridge, Ken grew up on a farm on the Southline, just outside of Kincardine. He attended the University of Guelph where he obtained his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. Ken practiced veterinary medicine for more than 35 years, many of those years as the owner of the Ripley-Huron Veterinary Clinic, Lucknow Huron Veterinary Services and Huron Shores Veterinary Services. He could often be seen travelling the back roads in his blue chevy blazer wearing a Milk toque, blue overalls and a big black pair of rubber boots.
Ken was involved with many committees and clubs over the years; including but not limited to volunteering with the 4-H Vet Club, serving as the President of both the College of Veterinarians of Ontario and the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association, and acting in leadership roles with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, West Wawanosh Mutual Insurance Company and Masonic Northern Light Lodge #93. Ken was a trailblazer in veterinary medicine and enjoyed spending many years on the family farm. Ken always considered his family to be the accomplishment he was most proud of. He was a famous tinkerer and loved exploring new pursuits from beekeeping to solar energy production and hiking through the bush. His stories were legendary and he was widely known for his generosity, modesty and kindness.
In lieu of flowers, Ken has requested that donations to Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Grey-Bruce Health Services in Owen Sound or the Farley Foundation be made in his memory. At Ken’s request, there will be no funeral service. Rather, he has requested that his family and friends gather at a later date to reminisce and share stories. Details will be shared by the family when they become available. In the interim, the family would very much appreciate if you have any stories to share involving Ken to feel free to e-mail them to [email protected].
The family would like to thank Ken’s health team, Dr. Gunaratne, Dr. Sandhu, Dr. Michelles and Dr. Schimmer. Thank you to all family and friends for their support in this difficult time.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the MacKenzie & McCreath Funeral Home, Ripley. Condolences and memorial online at mackenzieandmccreath.com
