Ruel Lester Bradley Jr.

Ruel Lester Bradley Jr., 83, passed away on Friday, November 28, 2014 at the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Jacksonville following a valiant battle with subdural hematomas. He is survived by his son Glenn Bradley of Pensacola, FL; his daughter Carol Lachner, and son-in-law Gene Lachner of Tallahassee; and his granddaughter, Michele Angelina Lachner of St. Augustine, FL. He is also survived by his sister, Betty Sue Jones of Tifton, GA, and his brother Gordon Bradley of Phoenix City, AL. Family will receive friends from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 3rd at Culley's MeadowWood Funeral Home, Riggins Road.The service will be at 11:00 a.m. Thursday at Thomasville Road Baptist Church, with burial at Roselawn Cemetery on Piedmont Drive. Ruel was born on November 6, 1931 in Americus, Georgia, the son of the late Lester and Connie Bradley. He attended Americus Senior High School and Georgia Southwestern Junior College where he was outstanding as a pitcher for both baseball teams.Ruel served four years of active duty in the Navy, where he was named manager of his station's baseball team, and was the top rated pitcher in the Naval Station League while stationed in Alaska. He continued his education at Florida State University where he received his BS in Business Administration in 1958. Ruel was in the hotel business from 1958-1997; manager of the Duval Hotel; opened the first Ramada Inn in Georgia; developed and operated the round Holiday Inn in Tallahassee; and was the Senior Vice President and General Manager of Daytona Oceans Eleven Resorts.In 1980 he was named "Hotelier of the Year" by the Florida Hotel and Motel Association. He was also a director of FHM since 1976. From 1993-2014 he served as the Treasurer and Investment Committee Chairman for the company. Ruel was involved in numerous local and civic activities, including the Tallahassee Rotary Club, where he served as President in 1976-77, and was the recipient of the Board of the Southern Scholarship Foundation Clifton Moor Award in 2012.He also continued to serve on the Board of the Southern Scholarship Foundation until his death. He was a long time member of, and former Deacon at Thomasville Road Baptist Church. Above all, Ruel was absolutely devoted to his children, granddaughter, and to his wife Virginia until her passing. He was a man of strong faith, believing in the power and strength of Jesus Christ's love and the beauty and peace that would await him in heaven.