Lawrence James Bradford
BRADFORD, GREBEL, PEARSON, HOTEK, GARDNER, BRISCOE
Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 11/13/2017 at 09:21:30
Lawrence James Bradford passed away Monday, October 30 of this year in Iowa City at the age of 90.
Larry was born on June 23, 1927 in Bainville, MT the only child of Audrey Marvel and George Washington Bradford. He served honorably in the U.S. Army at the end of World War II and was graduated from Stanford University on the GI Bill. He worked for Sears & Roebuck in Seattle, WA before returning to school at 34 to earn a Masters and PhD in Speech Pathology and Audiology from The University of Kansas. He worked for Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City and The Menninger Foundation in Topeka before retiring in 1992.
Smitten by her dazzling smile and following a whirlwind courtship, Larry married fellow speech pathologist, Mary Ann Grebel, on Valentine’s Day 1969 in Kansas City, KS.
Prior to his retirement, he was the editor and author of numerous journal articles and several books on audiology and speech pathology. He received an award for outstanding service from the Sertoma Club for designing and implementing a hearing aid recycling program. For 14 years following his retirement, Larry volunteered at CASA as an advocate for at-risk youth.
Larry was a life-long learner and voracious reader. Ethics, religion, and social issues were subjects which engaged and moved him. He was also an opera aficionado and traveled to Europe with family for performances in Italy and Finland. Larry sought out art and beauty and relished sharing such.
In 2005, Larry and Mary Ann moved to Iowa City to be close to Leigh, Nick, and their grandson, Cole. Larry appreciated the learning opportunities available in this college town, attending seminars and taking classes at the Senior Center on topics as varied as Astronomy and the stories of Mark Twain. He had a lively sense of curiosity and lived to learn.
Larry is survived by his wife, Mary Ann of Iowa City; three children, Leigh Bradford of Iowa City, Niels (Gloria) Pearson of San Clemente, CA, and Gail Pearson of Finland; five grandchildren, Cole Hotek of Iowa City, Nikki (Ryan Fink) Pearson and their son, Weston, Leif Pearson, Lauri Gardner, and Esko (Ida) Gardner and their daughter Sointu; former son-in-law, Nick Hotek of Iowa City; and cousin Carol Briscoe, of Spokane, WA.
Larry will be remembered as thoughtful, caring and kind to all. His wife, children, and grandchildren will greatly miss his ever supportive, loving presence.
His daughter Leigh would like to thank the following for their care and support of her father: Dr. Margo Schilling, Tonia Cox and the assisted living staff of Melrose Meadows, the nurses and medical assistants at UIHC, and the staff of Briarwood Health Center.
Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen