BRADLEY, Lila Jane (OLNEY)

OLNEY, BRADLEY, PAXSON, DAVIDSON, CORTESIO

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 6/23/2017 at 20:18:59

Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, June 21, 2017

OBITUARY ~ LILA JANE (OLNEY) BRADLEY
December 19, 1949 ~ June 12, 2017

Lila passed away peacefully on June 12, 2017 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. She was born to Vane Lillian (Paxson) Olney and Carl Eugene Olney, Jr. at home on a farm near the small rural community of Redding, Iowa.

She is survived by her husband, James R. Bradley, whom she married on March 1, 1986 in Las Vegas, Nevada; son, John James Bradley of Harlingen, Texas; granddaughter, Crystal Carol Bradley of College Station, Texas; sisters, Sherry Beth (Bill) Davidson and Nola Elaine Olney; and brothers, Carroll Eugene, Verden Dean, Lanny Joe, Cleo Duane, Clarence Dale, Vernon Curtis (Mary Jo), and Danny Rene (Maria). She is also survived by sister-in-law, Barbara Jean (Bradley) Cortesio and husband, John. Later in life her parents adopted and raised two grandchildren: Melody Ann Olney and Evan Laverne “Rod” Olney, Jr (deceased). She is survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Marvin Neil and Evan Lavern; and sisters-in-law, Rita Kay Olney and Judy Marie Olney.

Lila received her MBA with Highest Honors from the University of Denver in 1987. She worked for over thirty years in what was originally the Bell System (AT&T). Through various corporate reorganizations, restructures, and divestiture, she worked for Northwestern Bell, U S WEST, MediaOne Group, and AT&T. She was the Director of Corporate Finance and Accounting for AT&T when she retired in 2000.

Lila loved to travel, making numerous trips to Europe, Asia, and South America. She enjoyed playing cards – gin with the women’s group at Harlingen (Texas) Country Club during the winter months, and online bridge with her friends. Later in life she took up golf and became an avid player and active competitor. She was a club champion in 2004. Until going to south Texas for the winter months, she skied and was a member of the Eskimo Club. Earlier in life she played racquetball, and most recently, while undergoing chemotherapy, began playing pickleball. She truly enjoyed the company and friendship of her card-playing, golfing, and skiing friends, both here in Colorado and in Texas.

Born in Redding, Iowa, she was one of twelve children – two sisters and nine brothers. She was the first girl after seven boys, then followed by two more boys. Her challenging childhood on the farm left Lila with a unique perspective and a great sense of humor. She was able to quickly assess a situation and get to the point of the matter with a short remark that summed up her view without a lot of unnecessary verbiage. These same early experiences left her with the resolve to be both physically and mentally fit. She survived breast cancer and pushed on with her life in an upbeat and active manner. Later, when confronted with pancreatic cancer, she kept up almost all of her activities in a way that many people had no idea of what she was struggling through with the effects of both the disease and treatments.

A Memorial Service will be held at the Redding, Iowa Methodist Church, and Celebration of Life Ceremonies later this summer in Colorado Springs, and this fall in Harlingen, Texas.

For updates on service times and dates, please visit www.tsfs.co

In lieu of flowers, please contribute to the Lustgarten Foundation (lustgarten.org). As a result of private funding for administrative costs, the Lustgarten Foundation spends 100% of every dollar received on pancreatic cancer research. Lila believed that one day research will find a cure for this aggressive form of cancer, and more importantly, a way to identify it in its early stages.

Thank you to all her friends and loved ones who were so supportive during her battles with cancer.

Arrangements by: The Springs Funeral Services-North Colorado Springs, Colorado

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, June of 2017

Ringgold Obituaries maintained by Tony Mercer.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen