William (Bart) M. Trowbridge, 88, entered into the presence of Jesus his Lord and Savior, on July 19, 2024.

Bart was born to William T. and Rachel B. Trowbridge on May 16th, 1936, in Philadelphia. As a child growing up in Broomall, the second of five boys, he helped care for his younger brothers and the house while his mother spent years recovering from polio. Favorite childhood activities were hunting, fishing, trapping and exploring the woods, fields and streams adjacent to his neighborhood. Manoa Presbyterian Church as well as Young Life Ministries were a strong influence in his life, and when he was 19 years old, he gave himself completely to Jesus Christ as his Savior and LORD.

Bart met his beloved wife, Joan, the following year at Philadelphia College of the Bible. They married in 1959, he then graduated from Reformed Episcopal Seminary, and in 1965 became missionaries with Campus Crusade for Christ International (now Cru). Bart directed the first chapter of Cru at Penn State University, seeing hundreds of students' lives transformed by God. He went on to serve in Russia (and surrounding countries) over a 20-year span beginning with the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1991. His roles there included directing the Jesus Film Project in an area that spanned 11 time zones and also included the Philippines, Mexico, Cambodia, Vietnam and Bulgaria. His last work with Cru was hosting international students in the Philadelphia area. Retiring at age 81, he and Joan moved in with Bob and Julie Kramer in Ephrata PA, enjoying fellowship and also ministry with Calvary Church and the Chinese Church of Lancaster, and China Outreach.

Bart's hobbies were canoeing, nature walks, gardening, tennis. His richest and fullest memories were time spent with his five children (Julie, Mark, Tina, Lisa and Bruce), their spouses, his fourteen grandchildren, and eight great grandchildren. He was truly loved by his family and many friends all over the world.

Three of Bart's favorite verses were Psalm 90:1 "Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations," Psalm 91:1 "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will abide under the shadow of the Almighty", and Psalm 90:12 "So teach us to number our days that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom". Bart was a joyful and faithful servant of God. He will be greatly missed by Joan, his loving wife of 65 years, his brothers Bob, Dave and Steve, his children and their spouses… Julie (Bob) Kramer, Mark (Amy) Trowbridge, Tina (Matt) Landel, Lisa (Todd) Hostetler, Bruce (Michelle) Trowbridge, his grandchildren: Bradley (Beth), Drew (Bethany), Hannah(Nathan), Laura(Andrew), Evan, Derrick, Sierra, Josiah, Serena, Joshua (Hannah), Luke (Mary Kate), Emily (Danny), Avery, Jacob, Jillian and great grandchildren (Josie, Norah, James, Benjamin, Jackson, Reid, Levi, Sophie).

Bart's greatest joy was sharing Jesus with others. He saw himself as a simple messenger of God's grace and salvation through Jesus, "I'm just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread." He lived a life of sweet relationship with his Maker in whose presence he now rejoices. If you'd like to experience such a relationship, check out "The Gospel" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrzq_X1NNaA.

The celebration of Bart's life will take place at 11 am on Thursday, July 25,2024 at Calvary Church, 1051 Landis Valley Road in Lancaster, PA. The family will receive guests from 10 – 11 am. The service will be livestreamed via Calvary Church webpage, at https://www.calvarychurch.org/more/memorial-service-livestream/ . Please note that if you log on early you may see a previous service, but it will switch to a live feed shortly before the service begins. A video recording of the service will also be made available through the Calvary Church YouTube channel. To get there, you can go to the same livestream page mentioned above, then click the button that says "Watch Previous Services." It may be several days after the service until it is uploaded, but then the video recording will remain available at that site. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to: * International School Project of Cru Ministries * Eagle Projects International