Stanley J. Bradley

Stan Bradley, age 96, left it all on the court when the final buzzer sounded. There was nothing left in the tank, he gave it his all.

Stan was a 1948 graduate of Salesianum High School. He also attended LaSalle College and graduated from the Academy of Advance Traffic at the University of Pennsylvania.

Very few knew of Stan attending St. Charles Seminary in Maryland. He graduated 8th grade from St. Elizabeth Catholic School in Wilmington, Delaware in 1944, then began his first year of studies at St. Charles that same year. He contracted a severe case of pneumonia his first year, but completed that initial year. During his second year at St. Charles, pneumonia attacked him again, he struggled through, and completed that year as well. That summer of 1946, his parents decided the rigors of seminary studies, appeared to be too physically taxing for their son and Stan withdrew from St. Charles Seminary. Stan began attending Salesianum High School in Wilmington in 1946 and graduated in 1948.

He retired from the DuPont Company in 1990 as a Senior Transportation Specialist after 41 years of service. In retirement, he worked at Payless Sports with owner Gerald Cohen. Payless Sports was a sports memorabilia store that serviced customers with unique requests for authenticated signed sports memorabilia. Stan was present for a number of the private signing events arranged by Mr. Cohen. A sports fan all his life, he was thrilled to be in the same room with professional athletes while they signed footballs, helmets, bats, baseballs, gloves, hockey sticks, pucks, basketballs, NASCAR helmets, and apparel. Payless Sports, with it's nondescript store front location on Newport Gap Pike, allowed the athletes to slip in and out with little notice or fanfare. Helping Mr. Cohen at Payless Sports was pure joy for Stan.

Stan and Vada were married over 71 years before Vada's passing in December of 2022 . Stan and Vada's 58 years living in their Wilmington Manor home was about as close as you could get to a "New Castle Camelot" if you ever asked Stan. He loved his family, home, the neighbors, Our Lady of Fatima Church and School, Wilmington Manor, and the whole area in general. He always felt he was a very fortunate man.

Active in many organizations, he was the President of the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) for the Diocese of Wilmington in 1967 and served on its board of directors for many years. He was also president and member of the Board of The Transportation Club of Wilmington, Delaware. He served as president and a founder of the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame. He was also a long-time member of the Board of Governors and a museum volunteer. Twice he served as president of the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials - Board #11 and an active official for 25 years. Stan saw a great number of young basketball players in his officiating days. One in particular, was a young Wilt Chamberlain, fresh from Overbrook High School, prior to leaving for the University of Kansas. Wilt was playing for a Philadelphia recreation team and they drove to Wilmington to play at St. Anthony's summer league team at the old Sallies gym at 8th & West. Asked years later about his recollection of Wilt, Stan said he thought Wilt was going to leave a huge impact on basketball, a very polite young man, and had the biggest feet he had ever seen.

In 1964 he became involved with American Legion Baseball and served for many years as chairman of public relations for the state of Delaware.

His social activities included membership in Defiance Athletic Association, St. Anthony's Club of New Castle, and the Stahl Post #30 American Legion Athletic Program. Stan also belonged to New Castle Senior Center and Weston Senior Center. In 1968 Stan began running bus trips to the University of Delaware football away games. Those trips continued for 43 years. Stan and Vada also became involved with a group of walkers that would walk the Battery Park trail in Old New Castle. This group of mostly retirees, would be up before dawn, to "get their miles in". Asked by their kids why so early, they would reply, "Everybody else is there at that time". Stan and Vada delivered Meals on Wheels for a number of years.

A member of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, Stan and Vada were members of the original founding parishioners. Stan served as a member of the Parish Council and helped start the Parish Athletic Association. A eucharistic minister, he also served as an usher for many decades. Stan was a 3rd degree member of Our Lady of Fatima Knights of Columbus.

Stan was predeceased by his parents, Stanley and Sarah, his wife, Vada Marie (Jugler), his sister Helen Faraone, and his brother Donald Bradley. He is survived by his sister, Mildred Mealey, his daughter, Christine Feldman (Robert), his daughter, Carolyn Bradley and husband Steven Yeager, his son, Stephen Bradley, wife Phyllis (Muhlena), and son, John Bradley, wife Beth (Glackin). He is also survived by grandchildren Nicholas Bradley, Tyler Bradley, wife Kelsey (Visnansky), and Mathew Feldman, and great-grandchildren, Elianna and Bennett Bradley.

The family would like to thank Joann Kolasinski, Mandy Lane, Thaddeus Mayo, Linda Roberts, Wanda Gibson, and Terance Purnell for all their help over the years. Special thanks to Setty Asiyo RN and Carly Collas RN for providing loving care for Stan's end of life transition.

A visitation will be held on Tuesday February 24th from 10 A.M. to 11 A.M. with funeral services to begin at 11 A.M. at the Mealey Funeral Home, 2509 Limestone Road Wilmington, DE 19808. Burial will be held privately. Contributions in Stan's memory may be made to Salesianum High School, 1801 North Broom Street, Wilmington, DE 19802.