Virginia Ayers Bradford

Faithful wife, mother and grandmother, passed on to her Lord March 6, 2017. Born October 26, 1923 in the city of Pingdu, Shandong province, China. Her parents were American Baptist missionaries, Dr. Sanford Emmett Ayers,M.D. and Winnie Davis Bennett Ayers. Along with brother Bill, they returned to the US in 1925, back to China in 1934, and back to the US in 1940 at the onset of war.

Virginia was educated in Orlinda, TN, in Cheung Chau (an island near Hong Kong) in Honan province of China and in New Orleans, LA. She graduated from Meredith College in 1944 with a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry with minors in biology and German. She also graduated from School of Medical Technology, Duke University and worked in that field.

Virginia married Edward (Ned) Bradford on August 17, 1946 in Toccoa, GA, and they moved to Winter Garden in 1952. She was active in the First Baptist Church of Winter Garden and Lakeview High PTA, and taught science at Lakeview High School during the 1968 teacher’s strike. She owned and operated Deer Run Nursery until 1990, where she developed and patented a new variety of indoor foliage plant.

Virginia is preceded in death by husband Dr. Edward Bradford and survived by 4 children, 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren:

Son: Wade (Jan);

Cam (Wendy); Addison, Isabella

Merideth (Orrie); Elise, Aubrey, Mason

Son: Ed (Susan);

Matthew

Will (Emily); Owen

Jesse (Emily); Harrison, Grayson, Davis, Emma

Lauren

Daughter: Mary Lea;

Tyler (Sara); Foxen

Davis

Son: Emmett (Lori);

Jessica

Katy

Services will be held at Baldwin Fairchild Funeral Home in Winter Garden, FL. The family will receive friends on Friday, March 10 from 6 – 8 PM. Funeral Service will be Saturday, March 11 at 2 PM with interment to follow at the Winter Garden Cemetery, Winter Garden, FL. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to:

Edward Bradford, M.D. / Sanford E Ayers, M. D. Scholarship Fund

Foundation Academy

15304 Tilden Road

Winter Garden, FL 34787

407-877-2744