James Allen Bradford

James Allen Bradford (Jim) took his final breath on July 30, 2026. God whisked him away to that mansion in Heaven, the one his Lord and Savior had been preparing for him. In an instant he was gone from this Earth. In an instant he was in a perfect body, free of any pain or illness or affliction. He can swallow just fine and taste food fine. He has perfect vision. No eye issues. He can open his mouth wide and sing with no problem.

Jim was born on May 6, 1943, in Dallas, Texas to William Hartzell Bradford and Marjorie Halena Bradford, the second of four children. He grew up technically in Highland Park, but not necessarily in the upper-class part of the city. His father was a pediatrician, and his mother was a children’s nurse. Jim graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School. When talking about his education, he said he was never strong in academics. He did attend the University of Texas at Arlington for a period, but struggled, got discouraged and moved on with life.

As a young boy, he was fascinated with airplanes and flying and wanted to learn to fly. Often, he would ride his bicycle to Love Field to watch the planes take off and land, frequently stopping along the way to pick up some donuts and chocolate milk. He rigged up an antenna and radio so he could listen to the air traffic controllers. That passion for flying continued after graduating from high school. He wanted to take flying lessons but didn’t have the money. He got a job at Addison Airport pumping gas. Jim eventually had enough money to start taking lessons and get his flight certification. Along the way, he met a cute little Addison girl named Patsy Ringo who just happened to work at the airport café. They dated for a while, eventually getting married. Jim enlisted in the Air Force, landing in California for the bulk of his service after completing his training. He credited the military for shaping him as a man, helping him to grow up. After his service was completed, he and his bride moved back to Texas and decided to settle in Carrollton because as he put it, he thought “this would be a good place to live.”

In 1969, the moved into their “little shack” on William Lane. Pat was pregnant with their first child. They were the new kids on the block, but they had a great set of neighbors who welcomed them, took care of them, and protected them. They began to build their family. When Jim found out he was going to be a father, he made the decision to change his life. It was then that he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior through some Christian men at Addison Baptist Church. From then on he was a witness for Christ often sharing his faith with anyone who would listen, whether they wanted to or not. He and Pat spent many years working in the Cambodian Mission at First Baptist Church of Carrollton. They were not only teaching them about Christianity but helping them adjust to life in America.

Jim worked for Texas Instruments as an electronic technician for over 25 years before becoming a quality control specialist in the construction industry as his second career. He loved to work with his hands, building and repairing things. He enjoyed being outside working in the yard or hiking and camping. He would never say no to a trip if it sounded interesting and if he felt up to it. Later in life he was introduced to cycling and took that on as a hobby, often getting up early on Saturday mornings to go on bike rides of up to 50 miles. He enjoyed the freedom it gave him and talked about being able to go places he couldn’t get to with a car.

He dealt with skin cancer many times, but in 2020 he had surgery to remove a tumor from his face that left the right side of his face paralyzed. Up until his death he dealt with various residual effects of the procedure that caused him pain and frustration, going through multiple procedures to help correct those issues.

He loved Mexican food and his daily cup of coffee. He loved his grandkids, Cooper and Brooklyn. Jim had picked up cooking in the last few years of his life, getting good at a few items that he depended on. He had developed quite a sweet tooth recently, frequently making sure he had his dessert each night. Carrot cake became his favorite with ice cream not far behind.

Jim is survived by his sons Doug Bradford (Maryann) and Jeff Bradford (Kylee), grandkids Cooper and Brooklyn Bradford, brother Joe Bradford, and multiple nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife Pat Bradford, his parents Marjorie and William Bradford, brother Bill Bradford, and sister Margie Bradford.

Visitation will be held Friday, August 7th from 6pm-8pm at Northside Baptist Church in Carrollton, TX. Funeral services will be Saturday, August 8th at 10am at Northside Baptist Church in Carrollton, TX. Burial to follow at Restland Cemetery in Richardson, TX.

In lieu of flowers, the family politely requests donations be made to either Northside Baptist Church of Carrollton, attention Missions Department or Reel Recovery (a non-profit group that helps cancer patients through fly fishing). Both are groups that Jim donated to and was blessed by.