Hettye Sue Craver Bridger died in Austin, TX, on Feb 28th, 2024, surrounded by her husband, two daughters, four granddaughters and the devoted and caring members of the Silverado Barton Springs Memory Care Community.
Born and raised in Paragould, Arkansas, the only child of Bea and Homer Craver, Hettye Sue was always a small-town girl at heart. She loved simple pleasures, a good laugh and time spent with friends and family. Her parents and extended family doted on her and she adored them. Her sweet memories included riding in the back of her Dad’s pickup to the local Dairy Queen, playing outside until nightfall with her friends and sleeping under the stars on the screened-in front porch.
Hettye Sue was always an excellent student and musician. In high school, she played clarinet in swing bands and was a majorette. Her striking beauty, grace and killer legs led her to become Miss Paragould and to compete for the Miss Arkansas crown, where she finished runner up. Later, Hettye Sue attended Arkansas State University where she was in the marching band and twirled fire as a majorette. She was recognized as honorary colonel in ROTC and graduated college with a degree in Elementary Education.
During her time at Arkansas State, through a close friend, Hettye Sue met a pre-med student named Mike. It was love. Mike and Hettye Sue married soon after and would have celebrated their 60th anniversary this July 24, 2024. To help Mike through med school, Hettye Sue taught 3rd and 4th grade at a public elementary school in Little Rock, Arkansas. She soon gave birth to two daughters, Lisa and Lara, who she raised with tremendous care and affection. The family moved to Maxwell Air Force Base, in Montgomery, Alabama, where Mike served as the director of Pathology and Clinical Laboratory and as the director of the Air Force School of Cytotechnology at Maxwell Air Force Base. Together the Bridger family decided to call Montgomery, Alabama, home.
Later in life, once her girls were grown, Hettye Sue worked for a national roofing company in Montgomery, formed by her husband and a close friend. Always eager to learn more, she went back to school in her 50s and earned her Master’s in Psychology at Auburn University at Montgomery. Then she applied that knowledge to a successful career in real estate. She was a trusted friend and advisor to many clients and took great pride in helping others create beautiful homes for themselves. Always a natural athlete, Hettye Sue was also an avid tennis player and golfer for over 30 years. She competed in numerous tournaments but always kept the joy of the game top priority. She was even honored to have a Dream Court tennis facility named after her, where individuals with mental and physical handicaps will have easy access to all the gifts her beloved game of tennis has to offer.
Later in life Hettye Sue developed frontotemporal dementia, but Hettye Sue’s light shone brightly even in this dark time. She was a founding member of Montgomery’s First United Methodist Church Respite Ministry which provides support for families and individuals dealing with dementia. The friends she made there changed her and she changed them. She danced, did better on the games and quizzes than the people asking the questions and developed a wonderful talent for painting and drawing that she cultivated passionately until her death.
In a word, Hettye Sue Bridger is unforgettable. She always saw the positive side of life. She was comfortable in her own skin and never put on airs. She was vibrant and genuine, vivacious and loyal, determined, detail-oriented, witty, honest, undeterred by any challenge life gave her, and a natural beauty. She loved fiercely and was fiercely loved.
Hettye Sue will forever be remembered by family and friends as a devoted wife and mother, loving grandmother, a dear friend, an avid tennis player and golfer, a fun-loving spirit, for her gorgeous smile that would light up even grayest day, and again, can we talk about those legs?
Hettye Sue will rest alongside family members in her hometown, Paragould, Arkansas. Her burial will be private, but a separate Celebration of Life will be held in Montgomery, Alabama on the afternoon of March 23rd at First United Methodist Church.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made in her name to the First United Methodist Church Respite Ministry or to Dream Court.