Roy Bradley, a longtime resident of Huntsville, passed away October 26 after a long illness. He was a member of First Baptist Church and a World War II veteran. He was a family man, and a very loving and caring individual who enriched many lives. He lived a full life and appreciated and enjoyed every day he was given on this Earth. He will be sorely missed by his family and friends. He is survived by his loving wife, Virginia, and his two sons, Scott Bradley of Huntsville and Biff Bradley of St. Augustine Florida, and his daughter in law, Lynnette Hendricks. He had four grandsons, Caleb and Robin of Alexandria, Virginia; Alex, of Nashville, and Austin who resides in Huntsville.
Mr. Bradley moved to Huntsville in 1958, and worked for a number of aerospace companies and then for many years as a Federal employee. He also worked as a school teacher, and in other capacities to support his family as was needed over the years. He was a selfless individual and demonstrated the true spirit of Christianity. He always put the needs of others over his own concerns, and volunteered his time and effort happily to church related causes, meals on wheels, and other activities. He had many friends and acquaintances in Huntsville over the years, sadly outliving most of them, as well as his own brother and two sisters.
Mr. Bradley was born in Hayden, Alabama in 1923, and worked with his father who owned a hotel in Hanceville. He also worked as a taxi driver. He enjoyed recounting the stories and events of his youth. He served in the US Navy in the South Pacific during World War II. Luckily for his future family, he did not see combat, but was slated to be on the invasion force for the Japanese mainland, an event from which he and thousands of other servicemen were mercifully spared. He was released from active duty in 1945 and hitchhiked across the US to return to his native Alabama. He attended the University of Alabama, where he met his future wife, Virginia Bailey. He worked at US Steel in Birmingham – more than once, and entertained his family with the story of how he just drove by the office one day and decided he would go to the park and eat his lunch instead. He moved to Huntsville during a very exciting time, and raised his family when Huntsville was a center of space exploration and the thunder of booster testing echoed over the valley. He took his young sons on many unforgettable adventures, including the launch of Apollo 17, and several times to the Indianapolis 500 during its heyday.
It is impossible to capture this great man and his life in these few words. He was a role model for all, and a tough act to follow. He never complained or concerned himself with his own needs or desires, always maintaining a positive outlook through the difficult experiences of life, including his own lengthy and difficult battle with Parkinson’s disease. His final gesture was a smile to those he loved, even though he could no longer speak. He is in a better place, but this world will seem emptier now to the many lives he touched.
Visitation will be from 12 noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday at First Baptist Church followed by a memorial service at the church with Rev. Mark Seanor officiating.
The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the Parkinson’s support group,
P.O. Box 18721, Huntsville, AL, 35804.
