Obituary

Littleton Porter Bradley, Jr. of Mesa, Arizona passed away Tuesday September 29, 2015 at the age of 97.  He was born in Virden, Illinois, on March 3, 1918.  His father, Littleton Porter Bradley II, was President of the Virden Mine Corporation.  His mother, Maggie Keeler Bradley, died when he was seven years old, and his sister, Mercedes (Humphries) was five.  “Lit” and Mercedes attended Sunday school at the First Methodist Church in Virden every Sunday.  His father later married Nannie McKinney Bradley who was a wonderful wife and mother.

After graduation from Virden High School, he left his home town to attend the Missouri Business School in St. Louis, Missouri where he met and married Vivian Ruth Hadley in February of 1940.

Littleton, or Brad, was employed for thirty-three years by the McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Corporation in St. Louis rising to the position of Manager, Records Management Department.  Best known for his book “Filing Manual for Aircraft Correspondence,” his specialty was the development of office systems and procedures.   He was an accomplished author having copyrighted thirty-five books; many on Genealogy and History.  His book on the Bradley family genealogy may be found in the Virden library. Upon retirement, they moved to Mesa, Arizona.  His hobbies included gardening, genealogy, playing croquet, traveling, and volunteering at church and many other organizations.  While Rick and Ron were children, he managed little league baseball teams for 10 years, receiving a trophy for “dedicated work with boys in Normandy, Mo.”

Brad was a faithful member for many years of Hanley Hills Baptist Church in St. Louis County, Missouri; First Southern Baptist Church of Mesa, Arizona; and Brown Road Baptist Church in Mesa, Arizona where he held positions as deacon, church treasurer, choir member, Sunday school director, Church Training Director, Brotherhood president, teacher and many others.  He authored the book, “The First Southern Baptist Church of Mesa, Arizona, 1945-1995—Fiftieth Anniversary History.”

Preceded in death by Vivian, his wife of 76 years, in January of 2014, He is survived by his three children: a daughter, Betty (Dave) Cook of Mesa, Arizona; a son, Richard Bradley of Georgetown, Texas; and a son Ronald (Cheryl) Bradley of Roswell, Georgia.  Brad had six grandchildren: Gary (Lynnel) Cook of Scottsdale, Arizona; Mark (Sara) Cook of Gilbert, Arizona; Robert (Adrian) Bradley of Greenville, South Carolina; Janet Bradley of Hilton Head, South Carolina; Amy (Paul) Clark of Athens, Georgia; and Amber Bradley of Roswell, Georgia.  There are six great grandchildren; Brother-in-law Robert Humphries of Virden, Illinois, and one niece and four nephews.  A memorial service and burial will be held in Mesa, Arizona  in November.