John Richard Bradbury died peacefully on January 8, 2019, at the age of 91. John was born in Dallas, TX, on December 9, 1927, to Mollie Good Bradbury and Chester Lewis Bradbury, both of whom predeceased him. He is also predeceased by his cousin Mary Ann Bonhoff Whitten, his dear friend Bill Franklin and his beloved dogs, Sally, Annie and Freddy. He is survived by his cousins Cathy Whitten of Dallas, Carol Whitten (Tom Chandler) and Lenore Whitten-Chandler of Portland, OR, and Willis Good of Franklin, IN; and a number of very good friends.
John grew up in Dallas and attended Highland Park High School, graduating in 1945. He graduated SMU in 1951 with a BA in accounting, after serving in the U.S. Army as a squad leader during the Korean War. He then served several years in the U.S. Air Force Reserves as Special Investigations Officer, 2nd Lieutenant, being honorably discharged in 1955.
John began his career as a CPA with General American Oil Co. in the late 1950s, retiring in the late 1970s, having spent a portion of his time with them living in Spain in the early 1960s. He then built his dream house in the Lakewood neighborhood and purchased a Baskin-Robbins franchise. He loved this new chapter in his life, working side by side with his employees, scooping ice cream every day, until he sold the store in 1987.
After retiring a second time, John then devoted much of his life to charitable organizations such as the SPCA of Texas, where he worked adoption events, and especially enjoyed those during the Christmas season at Northpark Mall. He also volunteered weekly at the North Texas Food Bank and several other community services. John most enjoyed spending time with his family and his many wonderful friends, for whom he hosted a number of dinner parties, backyard gatherings, and bridge and Uno events.
John’s life will be honored with an informal memorial reception in the parlor at Sparkman-Hillcrest on January 26. The family will receive friends beginning at 12:00 noon. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the SPCA of Texas or charitable organization of your choice.
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