Remembering Herb Bridge (1925-2018)
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Herb Bridge in 2010. Photo courtesy Bridge Family.
Herb Bridge in 2010. Photo courtesy Bridge Family.
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Herbert “Herb” Marvin Bridge (March 14, 1925 - April 2, 2018) was born in Seattle, Washington, the first child of Benjamin “Ben” and Sally (Silverman) Bridge. In 1948, Herb married Shirley Selesnick and raised a family, introducing his two sons to the jewelry business that spanned both branches of the family tree.
For six decades, Herb and Shirley were active civic leaders and philanthropists—driven to action with a desire to heal, improve, and repair what is wrong.
This exhibit brings together oral histories, photographs, and most vividly, digitized Bridge family home movies, providing a glimpse of Herb and Shirley’s enormous impact and inspiration.
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Rear Admiral Herb Bridge in Uniform.
Photo Courtesy Bridge Family.
Rear Admiral Herb Bridge in Uniform. Photo Courtesy Bridge Family.
“I knew my position in the family before I was even aware of it; I knew from day one there was a lot riding on me. That was perfectly fine.”
-Building Bridges (pg. 20)
From day one, Herb Bridge understood his central role as a first-born son on both sides of his family tree.
With a frame of familial expectation, this exhibit explores major themes of Herb Bridge's life, including:
- The Bridge family’s immigration to the U.S. from Poland and Russia
- Navy years and military career
- The marriage and partnership with Shirley (Selesnick) Bridge and raising their children
- Ben Bridge Jeweler, a family business
- Advocacy for downtown Seattle and local community leadership
- Tradition of tikkun olam - “Repair of the world”
