Ann P. Bradley's Obituary
A Tribute and Memory of Ann P. Bradley Ann P. Bradley, age 96, passed to her eternal life on Saturday, April 23, 2016. Ann was born in Detroit, Michigan on November 5, 1919 to Richard H. Perkins and Mildred M. Perkins.She leaves behind to celebrate and honor her very remarkable life her children: Jim Bradley Jr. (Suzanne) of Williamsburg, VA, Dick Bradley (Diane) of Yankeetown, FL; Roger Bradley (Deryl) of Fort Myers, FL; Chris Bradley (Mary) of Tampa, FL; Brian Bradley (Joni) of Sarasota, FL; and Carolyn Scanlon (Jim) of Oviedo, FL. Also left to celebrate are her eleven grandchildren and five great grandchildren. She was preceeded in death by her husband, Dr. Jim Bradley and her daughter, Kathleen Bradley.Ann spent her childhood with both her parents splitting time between homes in Dearborn, Michigan; Syracuse, New York and numerous trips to the Carribean Islands, Central and South America on United Fruit Company “banana boats” with her father who was a chemical engineer with Allied Chemical Corporation. She graduated from Nottingham High School in Syracuse then attended the University of Michigan and obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Syracuse University. She then obtained her Masters Degree in Nursing from Yale University in April of 1944. During her last year at Yale, she went on a blind date with a Yale University Medical School student, Dr. Jim Bradley, who graduated in December of 1943.They were bound together in matrimony on May 13, 1944. Ann accompanied Jim to Rochester, NY where he completed his medical residency at Strong Memorial Hospital and she performed duties as the Assistant Head Nurse on the acute medical unit. Jim had enlisted in the US Army Medical Corps while still in Yale Medical School so in early summer of 1945 and through the last days of WWII, they moved to Palo Alto and later Pasadena, California to treat returning Pacific Theatre soldiers returning to the United States from the war zones. They went on to spend two years in Albuquerque, New Mexico living in half a Quonset hut with orange crates for furniture while Jim worked at the VA hospital attached to Lackland Airbase. Finally, they arrived back in the East where Jim worked in the Newington, Connecticut VA hospital and they graduated to a whole Quonset hut for their expanding family. When Jim’s military obligations ended, the family moved to Fort Myers in 1952, where Ann’s parents had retired in the late 40’s, to open his private practice in surgery. In 1956, what now is Fort Myers American Little League was chartered and Ann’s husband Jim, one of the organizers, became the founding president of the league. Ann as such had many official and unofficial duties to conduct and was referred to by many as the “First Lady of Little League”. Throughout her child rearing days, although very busy at times assisting Dr. Jim with surgical office procedures, she devoted herself to supporting her childrens’ activities and supporting worthy charitable efforts in the community. She took her turn in the trenches as a Cub Scout Den mother, Brownie and Girl Scout leader, family vacation planner and operations director, Special Olympics volunteer, full time taxi driver for her seven children and surrogate mother for their many friends. Of paramount concern to Ann in her younger days was the support of her daughter Kathleen who was born in Fort Myers in 1955 with Down Syndrome. Ann was a steadfast and tireless volunteer for LARC Inc, the non-profit formed by Lee County’s leaders in 1954 to educate and train the county’s children with developmental disabilities. Today, LARC continues to provide support services and programs for over 300 developmentally disabled adults annually. Ann served as Board Member, Officer, and fundraiser extraordinaire for the organization. She also was a leader in the statewide organization, the Arc of Florida, and was acknowledged as the volunteer of the year by that organization. Ann was an enthusiastic and talented athlete in her own respect and reveled in the athletic accomplishments of her children and grandchildren. She was an equestrian who excelled on the Rifle Team and Mounted Patrol in high school, traveled to the bottom of the Grand Canyon by donkey, and raced sailing catamarans with Dr. Jim on the annual Florida sailing circuit. She was First Mate on the family’s summer travels on their sailboat to the Out Islands of the Bahamas and frequent trips to the Dry Tortugas. She swam and walked every day that the sun shined well into her 90’s. One favorite activity was hosting post game parties at the family’s riverfront house for the Bishop Verot High School Athletic Booster Club. One of her proudest moments was when her daughter Kathy returned from Spain, after representing the United States in Swimming during the International Special Olympics Games. In her later years she volunteered at LARC Inc, the Salvation Army, The Hope Hospice Abuse Counseling and Treatment Center, and enjoyed her activities with the McGregor Garden Club. One favorite memory the family has of Ann is her playing wiffle ball in her late 80’s at a family reunion on the beach in St. Augustine with all of her children and grandchildren having a great time. Still a competitor! In her life she exercised the role of daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend to many. She was informal, gracious, selfless and never pretentious. She lived an exciting, rewarding, and extremely full life filled with love for and from everyone she knew. She is a model we all hope we can live up to someday! We would specifically like to thank family members and the very special caregivers from Comfort Keepers who assisted Ann at the end of her life. She passed away peacefully in her sleep in her own home and bed as she had wished. Ann never owned a “little black dress”. Feel free to wear spring or summer colors to her services. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 12:30 PM Saturday, April 30, 2016 at Church of the Resurrection of our Lord, 8121 Cypress Lake Drive, Fort Myers with interment to follow in Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Friends will be received from 6 – 8 PM Friday, April 29, 2016 at Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, 1589 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33907, 239-936-0555. Online condolences may be offered at: www.fortmyersmemorial.com. The family requests that in lieu of flowers a tribute donation in the name of Ann be made to: LARC, Inc. 2570 Hanson St., Ft. Myers, FL 33901
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