John Albert Bradshaw Jr.

John Bradshaw, 51, passed away at his home in Central Heights on Wednesday, April 30, 2014. He was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, August 20, 1962, to John Albert Bradshaw and Rebecca Ann Bradshaw. He has lived his life in Texas and Louisiana - Slidell, Arlington, Stephenville, Bryan, and Nacogdoches.

He is preceded in death by his father, John A. Bradshaw, and his wife, Kathy Bradshaw.

John is survived by his mother, Becky Bradshaw; sister, Donna Barnes, married to Andy Barnes; brother, Miles Bradshaw, married to Kimberly Bradshaw; daughter Amanda (Bradshaw) Clark, married to Adam Clark; step-children, Ashley Rice, Meagan Martin and Matthew Martin; nieces and nephews, Travis Barnes, Jessica Barnes-Bellemer, Conner Bradshaw and Claire Bradshaw; and aunts and uncles, Randy Curry, Sandra Marsh and Pete Curry.

John was a true cowboy. After graduating high school in Nacogdoches, he trained cutting horses in Stephenville, Texas, for world-famous rider, Larry Reeder. There he met his first wife, Mary Washington, and the apple of John’s eye was born – his daughter, Amanda. In 1981, John finished in the final 15 out of over a thousand qualifiers at the NCHA Super Stakes cutting horse competition. He probably had it won until the final 30 seconds of his ride when his last calf clipped past his horse, Cutter Bill.

He returned to Nacogdoches with Mary and Amanda and started his own cutting horse place with his mother and father at Timber Top Ranch in Central Heights. For many years he trained, sold, bought and cared for hundreds of premier cutting horses sired by Cutter Bill and others. John later was married to Elizabeth “Eli” Wilson who had a daughter Ashley who soon after changed her name to Ashley Bradshaw.

In his early thirties, John moved to Bryan, Texas, and started a brief career in the real estate and home-building business with his father and his good friend, Dan Clark. While in Bryan, he married Kathy (Riley) Bradshaw who had two children, Meagan and Matthew Martin. Sadly, after only two years of marriage, Kathy died tragically in a car accident traveling to pick up her children. John returned to Timber Top Ranch where he continued practicing real estate and training horses with his mother and father.

To those who knew him, John was a great cowboy with a huge heart. He was a fun-loving person and would help anyone in need. He loved the solitude of the country life, but he also enjoyed living it up in Las Vegas and at Cowboys and Texans football games. For the past 17 years, he has been steadfastly dedicated to running Timber Top Ranch with his mother. John would want to again say “thanks” to the numerous friends who have given their valuable time over the years to help John and Becky with the ranch.

A funeral service open to family and friends will be held at 2 p.m., Monday, May 5, 2014, at Cason-Monk Metcalf Funeral Directors. Honorary pallbearers are Miles Bradshaw, Andy Barnes, Travis Barnes, Conner Bradshaw, Adam Clark, Dan Clark, Joe Gotti, Mark Newman, and Ross Fairchild.

Visitation will be held Sunday, May 4, from 5-7 p.m. at the funeral home.

Those wishing to make donations may further John’s love for animals by donating to Pets Fur People, an animal rescue shelter, P.O. Box 6151, Tyler, Texas 75711-6151, at petsfurpeople.org.

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