Husband, brother, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, doctor, and veteran are just a few

ways to describe Charles Rosco Bridges. He was born on January 10, 1925 to the late Aquilla

Ford Bridges and Jesse Green Bridges in Philadelphia, PA. He was the fourth of seven siblings:

William, Nellie Mae, George, Edna, Vivian and Bertha.

Charles and his siblings grew up in the Elmwood section of southwest Philadelphia. Living

together as a family of nine, there was never a dull moment in the Bridges household. As a

child, Charles played the piano and violin, and worshiped at St. Paul AME Church, where his

grandfather was the minister. After school and on weekends, he ran his Uncle’s tailor shop, and

also sold the newspaper throughout the neighborhood. With his irresistible charm and hard

work, Charles won over enough new customers that he was rewarded a bike through a local

competition. Tragically, one day, while delivering papers on his new bike, he was hit by a car.

He was taken to Mercy Douglas Hospital where he lay unconscious for two weeks. He was

cared for by Dr. Magruder, a black doctor who brought Charles back from the brink of death.

When he woke up, Charles was so inspired by Dr. Magruder that he decided right then and

there he would become a doctor himself.

After spending two months in the hospital, he went back to John Bartram High School. In

school, Charles and his black classmates were automatically put on the “industrial” track. In

order to go to college, you had to be put on the “academic” track. Now that he wanted to pursue

a career in medicine, he needed to switch to the academic track. Though his parents could not

afford to send Charles to college, his mother Aquilla told Charles that if college was what he

wanted, college was what he was going to get. She marched over to Charles’ school and told

the principal that Charles’ family indeed had the funds to send Charles to college, so the school

had better switch her son to “academic.” The school granted Aquilla’s wishes. A determined

Charles studied year-round to make up for the classes he had missed. Thanks to his mother, a

true force of nature, Charles graduated high school in 1943 with the eligibility to attend college.

After graduating, at age 18, Charles was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II. The

Army later told him he did not have to attend the war, given the injuries he had suffered from the

bike accident. But a resilient Charles decided to go anyway. Departing out of California, Charles

and his fellow soldiers traveled to New Guinea and later to the Philippines. Charles first served

as a company clerk and was later promoted to staff sergeant.

After returning from the War, Charles enrolled at Howard University, which he was able to

attend with help from the G.I. Bill. In June 1950, Charles graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry and

moved back to Philadelphia. There, Charles started dating his childhood neighbor Bessie Ruth

Young. As kids, the two were friendly, and even dated. A chivalrous Charles would carry Ruth’s

books for her as they walked home from school together. But Charles never walked too close to

Ruth’s house, for fear of Ruth’s father Henry, who watched Charles like a hawk. Luckily, when

Charles later proposed to Ruth, her parents approved. In November 1953, Charles and Ruth

married. The two eventually settled in Mt. Airy with their three children - Jonathan, Kenneth, and

Charles, Jr. Much to the delight of Charles, their home often served as a gathering spot for the

whole family, not dissimilar from how Charles’ own home had functioned when he was a child.

Charles and Ruth always knew how to throw a party. If you were lucky enough to attend, you

would’ve heard them playing some of Charles’ favorite musicians such as Lena Horne, Harry

Belafonte, and Fats Domino.

For 10 years, Charles worked as a chemist in the Research and Development department of the

Philadelphia Quartermaster Corporation, and later at the Rohm & Haas chemical company. In

1958, Charles taught chemistry at Eleanor Roosevelt Junior High School in Germantown, where

he became the head of the science department. His dream of being a doctor persisted, but he

thought he couldn’t possibly go to medical school at age 35 with three children. After sharing

this doubt with a friend, his friend scoffed, explaining that he knew someone who went to

medical school with five children. Hearing this, Charles was again inspired. After discussing the

prospect of medical school with Ruth, who expressed her support for his dream, Charles

enrolled in the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. In 1964, he received his D.O.

degree, proudly becoming Dr. Bridges, the first doctor in the family.

In July 1965, Dr. Bridges opened his own family practice in West Philadelphia with a loan from

the teachers’ credit union. As a general practitioner, Charles did a little bit of everything – made

house calls, performed minor surgeries, delivered babies, and when those babies grew up and

had babies of their own, he delivered those, too. His medical practice was a major success.

Patients would line up around the block just to get a moment with Dr. Bridges. Eventually, he

sold his practice to the University of Pennsylvania, and, an extremely dedicated doctor, he

continued to practice primary care medicine until he retired at age 81.

Charles’ service to the community extended beyond his medical talents. His patients came to

him for recommendations for colleges and jobs, he was a frequent speaker at the nearby Calvin

Episcopal Church, educating teens and adults on everything from hypertension to career

planning, he mentored Penn Medical students, and he served as president of the Holy Cross

Lutheran Church Council where he was named Man of the Year in 2000 for his involvement and

commitment. Charles received many honors for his service, including a community service

award given by the Chapel of Four Chaplains, an organization established to recognize

cooperation and selfless service among all people. Additionally, he served as the secretary

president of Chi Delta Mu fraternity, an organization composed of black physicians,

pharmacists, and doctors that was founded at Howard. He was a member of the National

Medical Association, the Philadelphia Osteopathic Medical Association, and the Medical Society

of Eastern Pennsylvania. Charles also served as a medical ambassador for the People to

People program which was established by former President Dwight D. Eisenhower “to enhance

international understanding and friendship through educational, cultural and humanitarian

activities.”

For 98 years, Charles led a life filled with loving family and friends. As of this upcoming

November 2023, Charles and Ruth would have been married for 70 years. Throughout that

time, they traveled the world, visiting such distant countries as Spain, Panama, and China,

among others. Charles was someone who everyone in his extended family looked up to, turned

to for advice, and could count on in their time of need. Despite growing up at a time when black

people lacked basic civil rights and faced rampant racism, Charles defied the odds and, with the

help of his loving wife Ruth, created a path to success for him and his family for generations to

come. While his career and personal achievements are laudable, none of those achievements

amount to the level of pride he felt as a husband, father, and grandfather. As he lays down to

rest, he knows that the love his family, friends, and community have for him is eternal.

He is survived by his wife Ruth Bridges, his sons Jonathan Bridges, Dr. Kenneth Bridges, and

Dr. Charles Bridges, his sister Vivian Bridges, his grandchildren Dr. Kimberly Bridges-White,

Kenneth Bridges II, Hillary Bridges, Amanda Bridges, Lauren Bridges, and Giselle Bridges, his

great-grandchildren Michael White, Jr., Kenneth Bridges III, Laila Bridges, and his goddaughter

Adrianne Horn, who will all miss him dearly, among many others