My father, Oscar Hillard Bradley, Jr.. of West Union, Ohio and previously of Toledo, Ohio, was granted his eternal rest on Sunday, July 16, 2023. He was, simply, the ruler by which I measured the goodness of every other man. He was a quiet and gentle man, kind, compassionate, with a sly sense of humor, smart as a tack on a variety of subjects, and gifted in creative arts. He enjoyed music (especially country), nature, rural America, NASCAR, football, John Grisham novels, chocolate covered cherries, blackberry cobbler and he never met a pasta dish he didn’t like.
He was born June 5, 1941 in Mason County, Kentucky, as the only son to Reverend Oscar Hillard Bradley, Sr. and Elizabeth Fant (nee Lee) Bradley, a teacher. During his elementary school years, he largely attended a one-room schoolhouse where -for several years- his mother was his teacher, which he later attested made it difficult for him to “act out as boys do” as he was held to a higher standard. He graduated from Monroe High School in Five Points, Ohio, in May 1959.
Shortly after graduation, he accompanied his parents to Highland Bend, Ohio, where his father was guest preaching at a little country church. It was there he met a woman – my maternal grandmother Sophie – who took a shine to him, extended to him an invitation to her home for a bologna sandwich and there he was introduced to my mother, Eliza Mae. My father and mother married on April 16,1960 and they have remained each other’s best friend, confidant, and companion.
Dad was an Army veteran, serving in Germany during the Vietnam conflict and achieving the rank of Sergeant, E5 Chief Gunner for Artillery. Upon receiving an honorable discharge, he returned to the states and to my mother, eventually settling in Toledo, Ohio where Dad obtained employment from General Motors GM Powertrain Plant, where he was a machinist for 32 years. For every working day in those 32 years Dad ate the same lunch, which included a bologna sandwich (see aforementioned story on how he met my mother). When he wasn’t working, on almost any given Sunday, you would find us at the Toledo Speedway watching the ARCA races.
Upon retirement, Dad and mother returned to their Appalachian roots, setting in West Union, Ohio, on a 20-acre property that Dad meticulously cared for and maintained. As a lover of nature, he would daily fill bird feeders he stationed throughout the property and enjoyed watching all of the various birds- and a few feisty squirrels- partake of his daily offerings. He also had a soft spot for stray cats, building homes to protect newborn litters and their mommas from harsh weather conditions and predators, and ensuring all were healthy and fed. He enjoyed walking through the woods of his property, taking in all that nature had to offer and spent relaxing days sitting on his back deck watching all the woodland creatures meander and flutter about.
Dad was an avid woodworker throughout his life and enjoyed remodeling his home to suit his needs. After retirement, he devoted more time to woodworking, becoming interested in and immersed into Intarsia, an ancient form of wood inlay dating back to the seventh century AD. Dad spent many a day honing his craft to the point of establishing quite the artist portfolio, including winning several local and regional artisan awards and selling his artwork throughout southeast/southwest Ohio and northern Kentucky. One of his greatest works, The Crucifixion, was purchased by a local priest in West Liberty, Kentucky and hangs in the local Catholic Church. Dad also became an active member in both the Southern Hills and Adams County Arts Councils, the latter of which he lent his talent in set building (and a few small parts acting in local plays). But his greatest legacy is forming the JR Bradley Summer Arts Camp in 2012 to spread the love of creative arts to the children of Adams County, Ohio. Dad remained active in both Arts Councils for as long as his health allowed, ultimately having to give up his life’s passion due to the advancement of Parkinson’s disease.
Left to cherish Dad’s memory and legacy is his wife and my mother, Eliza (nee Lawhorn), me (Sheila Marie Bradley), cherished cousin Bessie Mae (nee Lee) DeHart and her husband Gary, many nieces, nephews and friends, as well as Teddy, the orneriest Yorkie this side of the Mississippi. He is preceded in death by his parents, parents-in-law Mickel and Sophie Lawhorn, sister Pauline Russell, brother-in-law Kenneth Russell, nephew David Russell, and beloved pets: a Chihuahua, Lia and a Lab/Shepherd mix, Sophie (so named after the aforementioned grandmother).
As a last gift of love to humanity, and in step with my Dad’s giving spirit, he gifted his body to the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in hopes of furthering the advancement of understanding – and of curing – Parkinson’s disease.
As per my dad’s wishes, there will be no formal visitation or memorial services. If you should choose to honor my Dad’s life and legacy in some manner, I believe he would appreciate (and my mother and I support) a donation to the Adams County Arts Council, P.O. Box 38, West Union, Ohio 45693; a donation to any animal rescue; or having a tree planted in any of our nation’s national parks and forests.
