The Passing of a Dear Neighbor

Our very tall and dear neighbor passed away.  His home is to the east of us, the same model home as ours.  Him and his wife raised 7 children, 5 boys-2 girls, -- we remind ourselves of that when we think our home is too small.  I would often chat with him when he was doing yard work or getting his RV ready to go on a trip.   I remember one time him telling us that they are all now senior citizens, he was talking about the youngest kid having reached the ripe age.  Unfortunately in the last 3-4 years Alzheimer's had set in and his legs stopped working as they should.  We have seen the change as his health became worse. We missed seeing him out for his daily walks.   Mrs. Bradley has called Scott a few times to assist in getting him up.  His legs would just collapse and he could not get back up.  In September he went to nursing facility with full time care.  He came back home last week, his wife wanted him to pass away at home.  He passed away about 6:30 am Saturday morning.  We have really missed him for a number of years-- I am glad he is free from his earthly body and can have his memories back.  

From the Newspaper-

Brent Bradley Sr., 86, passed away peacefully in his home on January 17, 2009. He was born June 18, 1922 to Ora Niegel and Ed Bradley in Waukena, CA. Brent is survived by his loving wife Josephine; his sister Aloha Adams of Cool, CA; and his 7 children, Brent Jr. of Mt. Shasta, Sharon Clarke (Michael) of Reno, NV, Mark (Debi) of Concord, Scott (Lisa) of Pleasanton, Glen of Los Angeles, Barbara Flores (Ron) of Livermore, and Dave (Carrie) of Livermore. He had 16 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. Brent was a loving husband and father. He grew up in Fort Bragg, CA, and lived there until his high school graduation. He worked for Bank of America in Danville where he met and fell in love with his wife Josephine. He joined the Marine Corps during WWII and was very proud of being a Marine. Afterward, he attended Cal Berkeley and graduated from there with a degree in Business Administration. He was employed at General Motors for 31 years, most of the time in Labor Relations. He enjoyed spending time at the many family gatherings and his favorite things to do were playing golf, traveling, playing bridge and reading. He served as a lector at St. Augustine Catholic Church. During his retirement he and his wife traveled extensively. He was also a member of the SIRS and Pleasant Living Trailer Club. One thing Brent often said was, "I love the life I lead." Funeral Mass will be held at St. Augustine Catholic Church,  at 12 noon, Friday January 23, followed by burial at St. Augustine Cemetery.