FLORENCE, AZ – More than five decades after a tragic bicycle accident claimed the life of a 12-year-old Boy Scout, the County has officially dedicated a bridge north of Florence as the Rusty Greer Memorial Bridge.
The dedication commemorates Russell “Rusty” Greer, who lost his life on April 1, 1972, during the final day of a long boy scout merit badge bicycle ride trip. Greer was one of nine scouts participating in the ride that day, working to complete requirements for their cycling merit badge.
“It was really for me personally my first real experience of losing somebody that you were so close to,” recalled Supervisor Goodman, one of the former scouts who was present during the tragic event. The dedication ceremony was attended by Gloria Greer, Rusty’s mother, though his father has since passed away.
The initiative to name the bridge began approximately three years ago when Doug Greer, Rusty’s younger brother, saw an opportunity during the bridge’s reconstruction. “I thought hey, there’s something maybe we could do here, maybe this is the time to name this bridge after my brother,” Doug Greer explained. He worked with Pinal County Supervisor Mike Goodman to navigate the process.
The proposal received a lot of community support, garnering 459 positive comments during the public feedback period. The naming board’s approval marks the culmination of these efforts to honor Rusty’s memory.
During the dedication ceremony, Supervisor Goodman offered words of comfort and perspective: “There’s always good that comes out of tragedies, always. We just have to look for them, we have to see the blessings that are there… It’s still painful, it still hurts, but I think if you look hard enough you see the tender mercies that the Lord gives in each of these kind of situations.”
The bridge serves not only as a memorial to a young life cut short but also as a reminder of the lasting impact one person can have on a community, even half a century later.
