J. Michael "Toons" Bridgewater
July 24, 1946- December 5, 2025
Michael Bridgewater, 79, of Warren, Vermont, passed away peacefully at the home he built on Lincoln Gap Road after a courageous battle with non-Hodgkin's T-cell lymphoma. He was surrounded by his devoted and loving wife, Helen (Speno), his beautiful daughter, Galen, and his three younger brothers, Steve, Ben, and John Bridgewater.
Michael was born on July 24, 1946, in Boston, Massachusetts, to John Bridgewater III and Carolyn Longshore. His father John Ill was a decorated 10th Mountain division officer, who fought throughout Italy during World War ll. As the eldest of four boys, he naturally grew into the steady, dependable anchor of his family. Mike attended King School in Stamford, Connecticut, before studying equine sciences at the University of Vermont, where he was also a proud member of the UVM Division I soccer team. He graduated in 1971.
Mike's life was shaped from an early age by a deep love of the mountains – a passion that guided him through every chapter that followed. During his high school and college years, he worked with the Appalachian Mountain Club in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, serving in the AMC hut system from 1966 to 1972. He worked as a hut man and eventually a hut master, and these formative years instilled in him a profound respect for hard work, resilience, and the wild landscapes he grew to cherish.
After graduating from college, Mike found his place in the ski industry as a ski patroller at Madonna Mountain/Stowe, Vermont. This began a lifelong love affair with skiing. He trained intensely to be accepted into the Sugarbush Ski School under Sigi Grottendorfer, and he later became an advanced educator and examiner for PSIA-E. His career took him across the country and to South America, where he taught at Portillo, Chile. Teaching skiing became one of Mike's greatest passions. Years later, while both teaching at Sugarbush, Mike and Helen met, fell in love, and eventually moved west to continue their shared commitment to the craft. Mike worked for the ski schools of Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado, where he continued teaching, training staff, and mentoring countless instructors. His guidance, dedication, and expertise left a lasting and indelible mark on the profession. During this time, he served as a consultant for Rossignol Ski Company where he helped to spearhead the development of the shaped ski technology. This position took him across the United States and as far as France and Japan where he trained sales representatives and shared his deep knowledge of the sport. This was to be one of his proudest accomplishments.
Above all, at his core Mike was a wicked good skier, graceful, fearless, and utterly alive on the snow. Anyone who ever followed him down a mountain could tell you the same. When Mike wasn't on the ski hill, he poured his energy into his construction company, Pegasus Restoration. A man of many talents, he approached every project with craftsmanship and pride. Storytelling was one of his great gifts; he could turn any moment – on a job site, on the mountain, or around a dinner table – into a tale worth hearing (although, sometimes long-winded). In his final years, Mike found tremendous joy in being part of the Mad River Rotary, where he formed lasting friendships and took great pride in helping support the local community. Mike was a man who never stopped moving. From work, to play, to storytelling, he lived life fully and fearlessly, with tenacity, humor, and deep love for the people around him. He loved his family dearly, and throughout his two-year battle with cancer he remained remarkably selfless. Even in the hardest moments of treatment, his first thoughts were never of himself but of the people he loved. He carried his burden with quiet courage and unwavering grace.
Michael is survived by his loving wife, Helen; his daughter, Galen (Morgan); and his brothers Steve (Barbara), Ben (Wendy), and John (Heidi). He is also survived by many wonderful and caring nieces, nephews, and cousins across the country. He was predeceased by his parents, John Bridgewater Ill and Carolyn L Bridgewater. Mike's warmth, wisdom, and boundless love for the mountains – and for the people who shared them with him – will be carried forward by all who knew him. He will be missed dearly,
A service will be held at Warren United Church at 11:30 a.m. on December 20, 2025, followed by a potluck get-together at the Warren Town Hall. All are welcome. We will also be hosting a party/roast for Michael in the springtime at the Round Barn, date and time to be determined. In lieu of flowers people are invited to make a gift in memory of Michael to Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice, 600 Granger Road, Barre, VT 05671 or MRV Community Fund, PO Box 353, Waitsfield, VT 05673.
