CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Drivers crossing Interstate 24 on South Moore Road in Chattanooga are now using a bridge with a name. The new span has been designated the Eugene M. Pike Memorial Bridge, an honor set by state lawmakers in the Tennessee General Assembly for the man who led Chattanooga Funeral Home for decades.
The bridge sits in the East Ridge and Brainerd area of the city. State lawmakers passed the measure to remember Pike, and the honor was marked this week with family members, funeral home staff and members of the local legislative delegation on hand.
Among those taking part were state Sen. Todd Gardenhire and state Rep. Esther Helton, along with leaders from the company chapels, including its North, Valley View and East locations. Gene Pike’s son Stephen now leads the family business as its president.
Gene Pike started out at his father’s funeral home as a 12-year-old and rose to run the company. Across a career of 67 years, he became known for his care for grieving families and for a long list of community causes.
Pike was active in Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Freedoms Foundation, and he was a familiar face in the Chattanooga Civitan Club, whose yearly Claxton fruitcake sales raise money for neighbors in need.
He died last December after a short illness. He was 87.
For commuters, nothing changes about the route itself. The difference is the name on the structure, which now reminds people driving between East Ridge, Brainerd and the rest of the city of a man who spent most of his life serving Chattanooga families.
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