Duane Allen Bridgeman, 84 of Loveland, Co passed away Friday, May 18, 2018. Son of Leonard and Edith (Ehling) Bridgeman, He was born October 20, 1933 in the family farmhouse outside of Abbyville, Kansas, the only son and the fifth of six children. Duane graduated from Abbyville High School in 1951 and Hutchinson Community College in 1954. He served two-years in the Army, in Germany, where an auto accident in which his jeep was rear-ended resulted in 22 surgeries over the course of his life. He married Helen Adabel (Baum) Bridgeman of Plevna, Kansas on April 6, 1958 at the Abbyville Methodist Church in a hailstorm on Easter Sunday.

After his army service, surgeries, marriage and two children later, he completed his B.A at Sterling College in 1962 and taught for a semester in a country school north of Great Bend, Kansas and then for two years in Ellinwood Kansas. In 1964, he packed his wife, his then three children and a fishbowl full of guppies into the family car and moved to Loveland, Colorado where he continued his education and taught for three years at Garfield and Truscott Elementary Schools. He received his M.A. in guidance counseling from Colorado State University in 1967 and then took a position as a guidance counselor at Bill Reed Jr High, where he worked until his retirement in 1990. After retirement, he enjoyed substitute teaching and working as a greeter in Sam's while his health allowed it.

Duane received his greatest satisfaction and joy from young people. Generations of Loveland youth received Mr. B's time, care and attention.   A favorite memory of his children is of all the time they got to spend with him during his summers off from school. He would pile 20 or so neighborhood kids (from just five homes; it was a prolific street) into the back of his green pickup truck and take them swimming at the old Loveland pool on South Cleveland.

For two farm kids from Kansas, Duane and Helen were fortunate after retirement to be able to travel, visiting all 50 states, and 3 continents, making five overseas trips. It was important to him to visit the military cemeteries wherever they traveled.

His hobbies included music, gardening and bicycling. He directed the church choir at the former Evangelical United Brethren Church and later at the First Baptist Church, and enjoyed singing in barbershop choirs. For several years, he sang in a gospel trio with his son Bruce Bridgeman and friend John Thut, where they performed in many churches in Kansas and Colorado.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years, four children Beth(Ed) of Yellow Springs Ohio, Chuck (Lisa), of Missoula, Montana, Bruce (Chris) of Great Falls, Montana, David, of Loveland, fifteen grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and his sisters Rose Holcomb, Marjory Garrett, Milbry Haag and Connie Depew.  He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Charlyne Wilt, and brother-in-law Pinky Busick.

Funeral services will be Crossroads Church, 5420 N. Taft Ave, Loveland, at 10 am on Thursday May 24. Visitation will be held at the church prior to services. Interment will be at the Plevna, Kansas cemetery. An open house will be held at the Plevna Community Church at 10 am on Friday, May 25. Friends who wish may make memorial contributions, recognition, or volunteering their time to the Disabled American Veterans  c/o Kibbey-Fishburn Funeral Home 1102 North Lincoln, Loveland, Colorado, 80537.