Bradley Duncan McMartin Sr.

Bradley (Brad) Duncan McMartin, Sr. passed away on Monday, February 3, 2025. He was 68.

The middle of three children, Brad grew up in the city of La Crescenta, where he graduated from La Crescenta High School at the young age of 16. He later went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Science (Fire Protection, Administration and Technology) from Cal State Los Angeles. Right after high school, Brad started his career in carpentry. A skilled craftsman, Brad has framed houses, built furniture, and completed many construction projects. And it was while working as a teen in carpentry that Brad began training to be a firefighter at the firefighter academy. It was at the age of 23 that Brad began to save lives in the city of Glendale and he loved his job. He later made Fire Captain (at the age of 46). Retiring 10 years later, he then took on the role of Fire Safety Officer at Paramount Studios. He was proud of this role and had a lot of fun taking part in the work of creating entertainment while keeping the actors, staff, and crews safe.

Brad married (Lisa LoGuercio McMartin) and had three children (Bradley, Blake, and Beau) during these years. Many a Christmas (his favorite holiday) was spent at the fire station eating food with his family and the other firefighters and opening gifts together. As a firefighter, it was tough to be away from his family for days at a time but Brad loved his family and he loved to support his sons throughout all their endeavors. He instilled in his three sons a faith in God, a strong work ethic, and the ability to overcome challenges through perseverance, strength, and kindness. Strict at times, Brad did expect a lot but without these expectations his sons would not be who they are today.

He also shared his love for sports with his sons. He brought them up to play baseball and football and loved going to their games and watching them excel in sports. Dodger baseball was a family favorite and it was a tradition to go to the games. Brad strategized their season tickets so that it was a free bobblehead night or jersey day. He was also sure to book the nights with fireworks.

Brad was quite the skilled dirt bike rider. Both he and his brother John would race. He had a pro-am card and was considered a semi-professional between the ages of 14 and 17. He trained his sons in dirt bike riding as well, and together with friends and family they would ride in the Mojave Desert. It was also an annual event to attend the Supercross races in Anaheim. They would go there early, set up the RV, and cook, talk and play games together. Later they would go and see the pits in order to meet the riders after standing in long lines hoping for an autograph. This past January Brad was there, with his family, cheering on his favorite riders.

Brad loved to fish and hike in the High Sierras, he loved beach days in Laguna Beach, RV camping in Carpinteria, skiing in Mammoth, water skiing on his dad’s boats, playing horseshoes, playing golf, and shooting pool with his father-in-law. He loved to practice shooting at gun ranges and in the desert with clay pigeons and collected and maintained a really nice collection of guns and rifles. He was very aware of and trained in safety and made sure his sons followed suit. He also loved collecting maps. He was quite the cartographer. Wherever he went he would grab a map and it would be added to his collection. And he was a great draftsman himself, creating plans for sprinkler systems and more.

Brad is survived by his three sons: Bradley Jr., Blake, and Beau; their mother Lisa; his daughter-in-law's: Autumn (Blake’s wife) and Danielle (Beau’s wife); his granddaughter Cora (Beau and Danielle’s daughter); and his sister Janice and his brother John.

A service will be held for Brad at Crossroads Community Church (25300 Rye Canyon Road, Valencia, CA, 91355) on Saturday, March 8, 2025 at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Brad’s name to either St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Crossroads Church.