William A. Bradley

WILLIAM A. BRADLEY AGE: 101 FORMERLY OF CHATHAM William A. (Bill) Bradley of Tequesta, FL, formerly of Chatham, died Thursday, December 25, 2008 at the Pavilion of Jupiter Medical Center, Jupiter, FL. He was born in Pavilion, NY and graduated from LeRoy High School in 1926. In 1933, he registered as an apprentice to his mother's cousin, Robert Mason, at his funeral home in South Amboy, NJ and he married Miriam Yarnall from Mt. Carmel, PA. In 1935, Bill received his licenses as a funeral director and they moved to Chatham where Bill worked at the Martenis Funeral Home. Then in 1943, he opened his firm Wm. A. Bradley, Funeral Director, in Chatham, which is still in operation as Wm. A. Bradley & Son, Funeral Directors with other facilities in Union, Springfield and Whippany. He was the first President of the Morris County Funeral Directors Association and served as President of the New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association in 1969. Bill served as president of the Chatham Kiwanis Club which he joined in 1943; was a past president of the United Way of Chatham and the Chatham Bowling League; he was Past Master of Madison Lodge #93 F&AM and served on the Grand Staff of the Masonic Lodge of New Jersey also belonging to a number of other Masonic organizations. He served as an Elder of the Ogden Memorial Presbyterian Church in Chatham. He joined the Chatham Borough Volunteer Fire Department in 1941, was appointed Acting Chief in 1958 and served as Treasurer of the department for many years. His great interest for years was in hunting and golf. He was an Honorary Life and Charter member of Fairmount Country Club, Chatham and in Florida played into his mid 90's at River Bend Golf Club and his home course at the Little Club in Tequesta. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Ann Reese Bradley; his children: Kathryn Brewbaker of Jacksonville, FL; Richard R. Bradley and his wife Linda of Mantoloking, NJ and Margaret (Peggy) Lisewski and her husband Francis of Rome, NY. Also surviving are his step children: Linda Emerson, her husband Bruce and Scott Reese both of Georgetown, DE; and Louise Nickelsen of Morristown, NJ; nine grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; four step grandchildren and one step great-granddaughter. Funeral services will be held at the Ogden Memorial Presbyterian Church, Main Street (Rt. 124) and Elmwood Avenue, Chatham on Saturday, January 3, 2009 at noon. Friends my call at the Wm. A. Bradley & Son Funeral Home, 345 Main St., Chatham on Friday, January 2, from 2-4 & 7-9pm. A Masonic Service and a Firemen's Service will be held Friday. Those who wish may contribute in his memory to either the Mutual Benefit Association of the Chatham Borough Volunteer Fire Department, Fire House Plaza, Chatham, NJ 07928 or the Little Club Library, Tequesta, FL. For a complete obituary and to send condolences go to www.bradleyfuneralhomes.com.