Jared Galen Bridegan was a gifted and driven individual who loved what he did. Having moved to Jacksonville at a young age, Jared went on to graduate from the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts with the class of 2007. 

He then went into higher education, receiving a B.S. degree in Digital Media with an emphasis in Cinema Production from Utah Valley University in Spring of 2014.

His career only continued from there as Jared became an accomplished User Experience (UX) Designer and held senior positions at Canopy, Web.com, Clean Simple Eats, and Microsoft, where he worked until his tragic death on February 16th, 2022. 

Jared’s passion for videography stood him out during his career journey as he inspired many with his talents, including his family and friends that will miss him most of all.

Jared made it clear that his highest purpose in life was as a husband to Kirsten and father to Liam, Abigail, Bexley, and London. 

He was often heard to say that he had been entrusted with the eternal responsibility of teaching obedience and cultivating faith in their hearts. With this end in mind, Jared strived every day to live a life worthy of the love his family showed him. 

In many ways, he was an example of faith, sacrifice, and unconditional love, values that defined the kind of man he wanted to become.

Jared’s impact on the people in his life was about more than just the wonderful things he did for them. His hard work and determination created a different kind of legacy that put fun and creativity at its core. 

His unfailing devotion to projects around the house led him to install countless custom touches that were done with love, from wooden beams for the master ceiling to a laser tag arena in the garage. 

Everyone around knew Jared as the generous friend who would offer his tools without ceremony — and then drop by when needed just to lend a hand.

It’s no wonder that this family man was loved so much; Jared made adulthood into an imaginative adventure full of laughter, learning, and lasting memories.

He was truly an incredible man, bringing light and laughter to the lives of those he loved. His cheerful personality and enthusiasm made him a hit amongst those whom he taught in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

An 11 or 12-year-olds’ Sunday School class is not usually known as a fun learning environment, but through his creative object lessons, fun stories, and sense of humor he made it so. 

That warmth and love radiate strong, even today in his absence; one can only imagine how powerful his presence was when still here on earth. He leaves behind an everlasting footprint on our hearts.

Michael Bridegan was an incredible man and he will be deeply missed by all who were close to him. His death has come as a deep shock, leaving behind a loving wife, Kirsten, and four children, Liam, Abigail, Bexley, and London.

Michael also had parents in Windemere, Florida, sisters and their husbands living in St George Utah, and Jacksonville, as well as a maternal grandmother, Josephin Krez. 

To commemorate the life of this special man, the family is organizing a private memorial service to offer their sincerest thanks for all the love and support they have since received from distant friends and even strangers who will forever stay in their hearts.