Theron M. Bradley Jr.

Jan. 27, 1947 - Oct. 26, 2007

Theron Michael Bradley Jr. peacefully passed away at home in Idaho Falls, Idaho, on Friday under the care of Hospice Alliance. He bravely fought a brain tumor for

20 months.

Theron was born in Corvallis on Jan. 27, 1947, to Mildred Esther Freeburn Bradley and Theron Michael Bradley. In addition to growing up and attending schools in Corvallis, he was an Eagle Scout and a member of Order of the Arrow. He played clarinet for seven years in the school bands, and several sports including varsity tennis and intramural basketball. He was on the school honor roll, a member of the National Honor Society, and a participant in the National Science Foundation mathematics summer session; he graduated with highest honors.

At Oregon State University, Theron completed his physics degree work in three years and got a mathematics degree with an additional year of study. He attended college under a full scholarship from the Navy, which also paid for summer cruises to Hawaii and the NATO countries around the Mediterranean and pilot and Marine Corps training. He was president of his social fraternity, Phi Kappa Sigma, and a member of several honorary fraternities, including Phi Eta Sigma and Sigma Pi Sigma. He played tennis and intramural basketball and rowed for the varsity crew his senior year. Upon graduation in June 1969, he was commissioned as an ensign in the Navy.

Theron spent the next

33 years on the senior technical staff of Admiral Rickover and his successors. He did so as a naval officer and as a civilian, including 20 years as a member of the Senior Executive Service of the federal government. He spent the first 13 years of his service on Rickover's senior staff designing the reactors and power plants for Nimitz-Class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and Los Angeles Class nuclear powered submarines. In addition, during these 13 years, he was director of operating reactor design for the Naval Reactors directorate, in charge of design, operation, maintenance and testing of operational submarines. He was responsible for leading the research and development and design standards for

thermal-hydraulics design, shock and vibration resistance and noise reduction. Later, he became the director for steam generator design, construction, operation and maintenance for Naval Reactors. As his last assignment at Naval Reactors headquarters, he directed the development, construction, testing and initial operation of the USS Ohio, first ship of the Trident class, and several subsequent Trident ships.

Also during these 13 years, he completed a certificate (master's equivalent) in nuclear engineering at Bettis Reactor Engineering School in West Mifflin, Pa., with highest honors. In addition, he completed a bachelor of law degree through LaSalle Extension University.

In 1982, on the day before Admiral Rickover was retired, Theron transferred at his request "out west" to be the manager of the Naval Reactors Idaho branch office, at INL. In this job he was responsible for all work, primarily reactor operations, training, and irradiated fuel handling for the Navy in Idaho. This work included operation, maintenance, design, and testing for S1W (Nautilus Prototype), A1W-A (Enterprise Prototype), A1W-B (Nimitz partial prototype) and S5G (Narwhal Prototype). He was responsible for developing, signing, and executing the settlement agreement concerning INL site cleanup with Governor Andrus for Idaho, John Wilzinski for DOE-ID and Theron for the Navy. He was able to achieve completion of the entire Navy work in accordance with the agreed-upon schedule and budget for NRF. At his request, Theron spent

20 years in this job, far greater than the three-year (or less) tenure of most Naval Reactors senior field representatives, based on his successful performance.

In June 2002, Theron was requested by NASA Administrator O'Keefe, with the concurrence of Admiral Bowman, to move to NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., for at least a one-year tour as the NASA chief engineer. In this role he was responsible for both the NASA engineering community (12,000 engineers) and NASA program management, including development and implementation of standards and execution of engineering and similar work by NASA. In August 2002, Theron was appointed chairman of the investigation board on the loss of the unmanned space probe Contour. On the loss of the Columbia in January 2003, he was appointed as executive secretary of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, where he provided liaison, technical advice and administrative direction for the conduct of the board. Theron was responsible for subsequent improvements in the rigor with which NASA conducted engineering work and managed expensive projects, and participated in the Administrator's senior group directing return of the space shuttles to flight.

In November 2004, Theron retired from government service. He became more active in the operation of his sole proprietorship, Teton-Pacific Engineering. For this year of semi-retirement, he participated in the long-range planning group for NASA nuclear work and consulted on nuclear and aerospace aspects of the New Horizon mission to Pluto, including making possible resolution of several technical and operational issues that originally were expected to scuttle this now-successful mission.

In January 2006, Theron and his family were able to return to Idaho when he accepted a job from Battelle Energy Alliance. His responsibility included directing the ATR Life Extension Program, a new $200 million program. Unfortunately, at the end of February 2006, a malignant brain tumor was discovered and Theron received treatments and therapies that helped to extend his life well beyond the original prognosis.

Theron regularly attended Calvary Chapel of Idaho Falls. His favorite activities always included outings to the local parks and "road trips" to visit all of his family. His generosity and willingness to help people made a lasting memory in everyone he met. We will miss his smile.

Theron married Marjorie Jane Hay in Corvallis in 1970; they divorced in 1971. He married Laura Joan VonRiesen in Omaha, Neb., in 1972; they divorced in 1979. Finally, he married Karen Elaine Buckmaster in 1991. His parents preceded him in death. He is survived by his spouse, Karen, and three children, T. Michael Bradley III of Pocatello, Idaho, Lynda Bradley of Ammon, Idaho, and Jason Laird of Idaho Falls; and his two stepchildren, Kimberly Morris of Sarasota, Fla., and Jeremy Williamson of Winter Park, Fla. Eight grandchildren also survive him.

A memorial service was held Monday, Oct. 29, at Calvary Chapel of Idaho Falls. Military rites will be included as appropriate during interment at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to: Theron M. Bradley Memorial Fund, c/o Westmark Credit Union, 815 E. First St., Idaho Falls, ID 83403, Attn: Samantha Gillihan, Acct. No. 1941866.