Harold Dean Bringle

Harold Dean Bringle, born August 16, 1939, in Atoka, TN, north of Memphis, died in Foley, AL, November 3, 2022, at the age of 83 surrounded by his family sharing their love; some through their physical presence and some through their voices from near and far. The greatest joy to his family was knowing he could hear their voices and expression of love in his final days. Harold was the son of Robert Ashley and Cordelia (Stallings) Bringle and is a direct descendant of several American Revolutionary War Patriots through his mother’s lineage including Jesse Stallings Jr., solider from GA; Rev. Sanders Walker, staff officer from GA serving as chaplain for Colonel Dooley; Jesse Reeves, soldier from GA; and Andrew Fox, soldier from TN serving in VA. He served in the US Army (the Fifth Army) earning the rank of Private First Class (PFC E3). He enlisted and served in Fort Lee, VA from January 14, 1959 – January 13, 1961, during the time between the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He was as an assistant to the quartermaster working as a supply handler and earned a medal for Good Conduct. As a result of his good conduct, he was hand selected to serve as the orderly to the commander. He was called back to Granite City Engineer Depot, IL on December 5, 1961, because of the Cuban Missile Crisis and served in Fort Riley, KS until August 1, 1962, as part of the frontline infantry division known as “The Big Red One” and “The Bloody First”. Thankfully the crisis ended before he was deployed and he received an honorable discharge in January 13, 1965. One of his most endearing traits that both his children and grandchildren enjoyed were his entertaining storytelling skills that almost always included silly voices, especially his unique versions of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Three Little Pigs, and stories from his childhood. In his last years, he wanted to write a book telling his life story of growing up in the cotton fields of the south and of his days in the Army. That book never came to fruition so his stories will remain in the memories of those with whom he shared them. To honor his memory and wishes to tell his story, the following is a summary of highlights that have been captured of those stories. At the time of his birth, his family lived in Atoka, TN, in the rural area south of Covington, TN and north of Memphis. At the age of 2, he and his family moved across the Mississippi River to Arkansas. Eventually his family moved to Dyess Colony, AR during the late 1940’s/early 1950’s, which had been established as part of the Works Progress Administration under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Later the family moved to Osceola, AR in a small home near the levee. He was hard-working from his childhood and traveled every year with his family as tenant farmers and sharecroppers helping pick strawberries in Centralia, IL, then further north to Michigan to pick cherries and eventually back to the Memphis, TN and Osceola, AR areas for cotton-picking season in the autumn. He left the south, boarding a Greyhound bus at the age of only 15, to live with his sister, Agnes, and her husband, John “Lamar” Chandler, in IL and find work in Chicago. He eventually got a job working for Dobbs House airline catering service at O’Hare Airport where he met his first wife, April Benson, who he married in 1959 and with whom he had three daughters, including one who died at birth, and adopted a son. His devotion to his parents was evident and he always made sure he called his mom on Mother’s Day and every holiday and called his children on their birthdays and at the holidays. He made trips back to Covington, TN regularly to visit his parents enjoy large family gatherings with his siblings and their children, especially over the Easter holidays. He had a long career as a spotter working in the yard at Consolidated Freightways first in Chicago, then in Aurora, IL, and lastly in LaSalle, IL. He was proud of his long safety record and accumulated many awards for various milestones of the number of years with no accidents. He retired in 1995 after 30 years of service as a Teamster. He lived in Romeoville, IL during the late 1960’s and 1970’s and moved to Stone Mountain, GA for a few years in the late 1970’s/early 1980’s before moving back to IL to complete his career at CF. His dedication to provide for his family was evident in his willingness to drive nearly two hours each way to his job in LaSalle, IL so his family could live in the suburbs of Chicago during the last several years of his employment. During this time, he lived in Oak Forest, IL and then in Midlothian, IL to help care for his elderly father-in-law. Throughout his time living in IL, he owned property in Sublette, IL at Woodhaven Lakes where many fun memories were made with his children and grandchildren including summer weekends of fishing and swimming, stories, laughing and s’mores-making around bonfires, and big meals cooked on the grill. Many family holidays were also spent at Woodhaven including some memorable Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas celebrations with all the children and grandchildren. While he liked to call it “Workhaven” because of the continual work projects it involved like raking enormous piles of leaves every spring and fall, which the grandchildren promptly pounced on, the memories made there will be cherished by his family forever. Shortly before his retirement, he purchased a condominium in Orange Beach, AL for winter getaways and then decided to move from IL to Foley, AL in 1999. He always yearned to return to his home of the Memphis, TN area, so in his later retirement years he lived in Southaven, MS, a south suburb of Memphis, TN, for several years before moving one final time back to Foley, AL as he struggled with advancing Alzheimer's Disease. In addition to working, he volunteered through each of the churches he attended. A lifelong Baptist, he served in each church where he lived including serving as a deacon, working in the sound booth during services, singing in the choir, and volunteering in the church thrift store. One of his more unique ways of volunteering was when he drove charter buses and school buses for several trips for the students and athletes of the private schools where his children attended and played sports. In addition, for several years in the 1970’s he was a foster parent opening his home to many children over those years providing them with a safe, loving environment. Cars were his hobby, especially classic cars. He loved looking at both new and used cars in the car dealership lots, going to car shows, owning and fixing up classic cars, and taking immaculate care of any car he owned. He owned several different classic cars through the years including a 1934 Ford Coupe, 1939 Ford Deluxe Coupe, 1952 Chevy Styleline Deluxe, 1970 Buick LeSabre, and a 1986 GMC Cabellero. A highlight of his 80th birthday celebration was a visit with his family to the Art & Speed Classic Car Gallery in Collierville, TN. He was predeceased by his parents Robert Ashley Bringle and Cordelia Stallings Bringle, brothers Melvin, Herman, William “Venoy”, Danny, Larry, and Douglas, one unnamed infant daughter, and an infant grandson, William Peter Groset. He is survived by his wife, Tasha (Johnson) whom he married in 2006 and enjoyed a loving relationship for nearly 16 years, and who devoted her time to taking such wonderful and loving care of him in his final years. He is also survived by his children Ron (Danielle) of Anchorage, AK, Sherry (William) Gendel of Naperville, IL, and Cindy (Steven) Ross of Woodstock, GA; grandchildren Lauren, Morgan, and Katie Bringle, Kirsten (Alex Renn) and Grant Groset, and Savannah Ross; three great-grandchildren, Kyran, River, and Saylor; stepdaughters Brianna and Natasha McDuffie; step-grandchildren, Aubree, Nova, Elias, and Emmalynn; sisters Agnes (the late John “Lamar”) Chandler, Elizabeth (the late Malcolm) Chandler, and J.D. (Nibia) Bringle, and many nieces and nephews including one very dear great-nephew, Malcom “Little Mac” Chandler with whom he spent many special times. A military service funeral will be held on Wednesday, November 9, at 12:30 pm at Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Spanish Fort, AL. He will be buried in his U.S. Army dress uniform and his life will be celebrated by his family at a luncheon at the Elberta VFW Kichler-Pippin Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5658 in Elberta, AL. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Harold’s name to Alzheimer’s Association, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, or Wounded Warrior Project. Arrangements are entrusted to Cason Funeral Service in Foley Al

Harold Dean Bringle

November 3, 2022

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Harold Dean Bringle

November 3, 2022

What We Do

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