Richard C. Bradley II

1920 - 2018

Richard C. Bradley II

Jackson, MS - Richard C. ("Dick") Bradley II died on January 6, 2018. He was born February 18, 1920, on Beechwood Farm, Marion County, Mississippi, to Bret Beale Bradley, Sr., and Martha Elizabeth Littleton Bradley. His siblings were Bret B., Jr., and Mary Louise. After attending Pearl River Junior College, Dick transferred to Mississippi State College. He joined Lambda Chi Alpha. In 1941, Dick was awarded a B.S. degree in chemical engineering and commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Army, assigned to the Coast Artillery Command. After serving in the Panama Canal Zone, Captain Bradley transferred to the United States Army Air Forces. Upon receiving his navigator wings, he was assigned to the 63rd Transport Carrier Group, Transport Carrier Command as chief navigator of a squadron flying C-47 aircraft (the military transport version of the DC-3).

On January 8, 1944, Capt. Bradley married Mary Elizabeth Zimmerman of Shreveport, Louisiana. In February 1944, his unit deployed to the Central Pacific Area of the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of War. He flew hundreds of transport missions and volunteered for combat missions, including the battle for Peleliu. Dick was awarded the Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the American Defense Service Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three campaign stars, and the World War II Victory Medal. He was promoted to major.

In 1948, Dick earned his law degree from Ole Miss. After a six-month tour of duty in the office of the USAF Judge Advocate General, he entered private law practice in New Augusta, Mississippi. In 1952, he was elected county attorney for Perry County and was an honorary colonel in the second administration of Governor Hugh White. In 1954, Dick decided to become an oil and gas landman. He resigned as county attorney and moved his family to Jackson and remained an active landman until he was over ninety years old.

His parents, siblings, and wife predeceased him. He is survived by his two sons, Richard C. Bradley III (Mimi) and Dr. Marshall Rice Bradley (Beverly). Dick is also survived by four grandchildren, Dr. Janet Bradley Giorlando (Joseph), Taylor Bradley (Rachel), Brant Bradley, and Lauren Bradley; by two step-grandchildren, John Marshall Adams (Carrie) and Susan Adams Oliff (Tony); by four great-grandchildren; and by three step-great-grandchildren. Dick was a life-long Methodist and a member of Galloway Memorial United Methodist Church since 1954. He was a member of the Mississippi Bar Association, a Certified Petroleum Landman, a member of MAPL, and a former director of AAPL. The family wishes to express appreciation to the staff at St. Catherine's Village, to Kindred Hospice, and to other persons who provided care to him in his latter years. Visitation will be at Galloway Memorial United Methodist Church at 11 o'clock, A.M., on Saturday, January 13, followed by a memorial service at 12 Noon in the sanctuary and inurnment in the columbarium. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made either to Canopy Children's Solutions or to Galloway Memorial United Methodist Church.