Walter Allen Bradley

Walter Allen Bradley passed away peacefully on June 26, 2026 at 96 years old. He was a devoted and loving husband, father and grandfather and will be missed by all. Walter, being the great storyteller that he was, wrote his own obituary several years ago. Please read on…

Born in Oklahoma City, OK his family moved to Atlanta, GA, when he was 6 months old. In his early years in Atlanta, he was active in the Boy Scouts, becoming an Eagle Scout and a Sea Scout. He worked on staff at Boy Scout camp where he taught swimming and boating. He also served a short tour as a Sea Scout stationed in Charleston, SC with the U.S. Coast Guard on the Ship "Blackhawk" in 1946. He attended Druid Hills High School in Atlanta, where he was Captain of the Football team, and on the baseball, track, and swimming team. He was also president of his High School fraternity, graduating in1942. Walter then attended North Georgia Military College from 1947-1948, where he was State middleweight boxing champion, and played football. After breaking his back playing football, he transferred to the University of Georgia in 1948, where he was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity, and vice president of his business fraternity (Delta Sigma Pi). He graduated in 1951 With a BBA degree in Management and Marketing, He later obtained a LLB degree in Law and served as president of his law fraternity.

He was a member of the Air Force ROTC program at the University of GA., upon graduating in 1951 he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant and was immediately called to Active Duty to Serve during the Korean conflict, Walter served as an Aerial Photo Officer from 1951 - 1953 with the 9th Bomb Wing, Strategic Air Command (SAC), primarily flying in B-29, B-25, C-47 and C-45 aircraft.

In 1954 he started Bradley Photo Engraving Company in Atlanta and in 1955 with a partner he founded Litho Color Corp., servicing the record album industry with such customers as Decca, RCA, Dot, Brunswick, Sunshine records and many more. In 1957 he and two stockholders started Imperial Packaging Corp., specializing in printing Four Color Pre-packaged Lunch Meat Labels, then in 1958 he and his partner founded the Acutron Step and Repeat manufacturing Co., building equipment for the Printing and Graphic Arts Industry. Walter was also a founding member of the Photo Engraving Research Group, which later became the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation. In 1960 he founded Dixie Outdoor Advertising Co. During his business career, he founded six companies, located in Atlanta, GA and Philadelphia, PA. In 1965 he sold all his businesses, met up with a crew of Australian Air Force officers and began his 1+ year travels around the world, spending much of his time in Australia.

When Walter returned from his travels, he reconnected with Joyce Adkins in Atlanta, and they married on Nov. 23~1966. Walter and Joyce had been friends since High School, and both attended the University of Georgia at the same time. Both Walter and Joyce had previous marriages. Joyce had two children by her previous marriage; Angela Power of Oxnard, CA (deceased) and Lawrence L. Apperson of Simi Valley, CA. Walter had two daughters by a previous marriage, Linda M. Norcross of Fort Mill, SC and Laura Lee Feraco of Kingston, RI. (deceased). Shortly after they were married, he became associated with the E.I. Dupont Co. Photo Product Division. They, along with Angela and Lawrence moved to St. Louis, MO. Three years later they moved to Southern California with Larry who soon met and married Merle.

In retirement they became active members of Las Posas Country Club and Spanish Hills Country Club. Walter and Joyce enjoyed an inspirational, loving and adventurous marriage spanning almost 50 years. They were always the life of the party and family gatherings. Together they had 10 grandchildren,14 great grandchildren and 4 great great grandchildren.

His interests and hobbies included Fishing, Boating, Flying, Golf, Bridge, Model Airplanes, Antique Cars and Traveling.