Therese Rose Bradley

BRADLEY
Therese Rose
Therese Rose Bradley “Terry” “King Wannabe” was born on March 22, 1927 in Detroit, MI to Harry Taylor and Grace (Larian) Taylor. Therese passed away on September 15, 2016 in Punta Gorda, FL. She married Billy Mack Bradley in 1944 and they raised their three daughters, Patricia, Donna and Susan in Detroit. Therese was the last survivor of the Taylor Family. She was preceded in death by both parents and siblings, Alice Thorton, Lillian “Betty” Bittner, Tom Taylor, Joe Taylor and Patricia Fitzpatrick.
Now….pour yourself a cup of coffee and read on…Therese “Terry” led a very interesting life and she was quite a contradiction…in a good way. While raising her daughters she worked in a factory by day and was “Donna Reed” by night, always making time to help with homework, laundry and many demands thrust on her…but she always had a smile on her beautiful face. She was a good catholic woman with a rosary in one hand and a cigarette in the other. She would jump at the chance to go to a casino, where she would play until she had nothing left...one time she bragged the cashier in Las Vegas didn't even need her ID to write a check because they were familiar with her…I had to explain to her that it wasn't necessarily a good thing!
Terry (my mom) had many traumatic obstacles to overcome in her life…after moving to Florida and building a beautiful home, my dad passed away after only living in their dream retirement home for five days. My sister, Susan was murdered in Detroit during the blizzard of '78…my older sister, Pat died on the operating table and yet my mom was comforting me! I have never met a person as strong yet soft as my mom…I compare her to a saint. She was so revered that I named my oldest daughter after her and I have a cousin named Therese also…A true testament to respect and love. Mom was a caregiver to so many family members and she did a wonderful job…So when it was my time to care for her I felt like I could finally give her a rest and step up to care for her. She lived with me for ten years and was surrounded by love and respect by grandchildren and great-grandchildren and even great-great-grandchildren…five generations (this is the part where I wish I could use emojis).
Well, we were going to be snow birds this year, going to Florida in January and expecting to come home (Toledo) in mid-April…that wasn't in God's plans…Mom got sick in Florida and passed away in her “Home” in Florida…I must say that I was so glad that her grandkids (my family) were able to make it to visit her as she continued to keep up her humor and wit and in her way was still able to let them know that they were #1, if you get my drift. One of us was by her side right up to the end…which is really the beginning of her new life!
The King Wannabe is because she always kidded that she wanted to be a king. The truth is that she was the Queen! We may have lost a branch from our family tree…but the roots are still strong! Thanks Mom
Therese is survived by daughter, Donna J. King (Don King deceased); grandchildren, Jeffrey (Sofia) Woodbeck, Naples, FL, Therese King (Chris Carter), Kelly King-Becki, Casey (Jennifer) King, Delaware, OH; step-grandchildren, Don D. (Lisa) King, Karen King, New York, and Kathy King-Patterson, Nashville, TN; great-grandchildren, Eric, Anne Marie, Andrew, Chris and Amy King; Seth (Holly) Stichler and Staci Stichler, Payton and Jake Becki; Connor and Emily King, Delaware, OH, Ryan and Ethan Woodbeck, Naples, FL; great-great-grandchildren, Brooklynne and Brayden Miracola, Makenna and Easton Stichler, and soon to be Boston Stichler. She is also survived by many special nieces and nephews who she loved dearly. Also a special thanks to Matthew James Sell for keeping the Toledo home front up to par.
Mom…I know you are looking down on us…still caring and loving…or at the very the very least…waving up at us…we love you. Respectfully
submitted by Donna J. King.
Funeral Mass will be at
Regina Coeli Church on Saturday, October 29, at 11 a.m. The family will receive visitors from 10-11 a.m. in the narthex of the church. Condolences and memories can be shared at
www.sujkowski.com
As published in The Blade