He was born in Union County North Carolina on June 25, 1936 to the late Henry James Stanley, Sr. and Hattie White Stanley. He was preceded in death by his parents and all of his siblings including J.D. Stanley, Marjorie Stanley Cox, Beulah Stanley Robinson, Sallie Mae Stanley Doster, Henry Stanley, Jr., Mabel Stanley Ivey, and Sylvester Stanley, Sr.
Bradshaw attended Union County Public Schools. He was an excellent student of life from an early age. He was a life member of Piney Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Marshville, North Carolina. He relocated to Charlotte in 1956, and was employed at New England Textiles North Charlotte (NoDA) as a machine mechanic. He continued his occupation in the textile industry just across the street at Johnston Mills. He was later employed as a machinist at Whitin Machine Works, and a welder at Keeter Corporation. He retired from the City of Charlotte Solid Waste Services in 1998. He enjoyed driving and was excellent at navigating the streets of Charlotte.
Brad enjoyed outdoor activities and was a skilled landscaper, gardener, farmer, and auto mechanic, who also loved to fish. He was a master at playing Checkers. His favorite game was Flying Kings. Bradshaw had a passion for classic soul music including, R&B, Blues and Jazz. He also had a collection of classic cars, several of which he restored, which included a 1932 B Model Ford truck, a 1963 Chevy Nova SS, and a 1957 John Deere Tractor. He and his wife also enjoyed shopping at flea markets and thrift stores. Brad loved to travel through the Blue Ridge Mountains, and he utilized his impeccable driving skills to visit family and friends from coast to coast.
Bradshaw loved his family and enjoyed sharing family history and genealogy; he was the family historian and contributed volumes of information to the family archives. Brad had a good rapport with everyone he met, but he had a special relationship with children. He was especially proud of his grandson’s achievements in football, and was a regular at most of the high school sports events. He had an outgoing personality and never met a stranger anywhere he went. He insisted on sharing his wealth of knowledge with others and he could talk for hours. He was very interested in politics, social action, and civil rights. Bradshaw was well known for holding in depth conversations on a variety of subjects. He had a way with people and a way with words, and didn’t hesitate to tell you the truth, or his opinion.
He leaves the legacy of his life to his wife of sixty-three years, Jackie Alexander Stanley, two daughters: Debra Stanley Barrett, husband Sammie Barrett; Dianne Stanley, husband Andre McGowan; grandchildren, Malik McGowan and Maya McGowan, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and devoted friends.
