John Bradford

John C Bradford was born March 16, 1942, in the town of Piggot, Arkansas. He was raised in the Yakima Valley by his parents, Mildred and Monroe Bradford. After graduating from Zillah High School, John joined the United States Airforce, where he was trained as an instrument tech for various aircraft. He married his high school sweetheart, Sharon Schooley, on his first leave. He was stationed in Smyrna, Tennessee, until called to duty in Okinawa, flying supplies and soldiers in and out of Vietnam. After the service, John and his growing family eventually settled in Ferndale, Washington. He became a member of Zion Lutheran Church and in his free time he enjoyed golfing and having morning coffee with “the guys.” John worked as an electrician at the Bellingham cement plant, Georgia Pacific, and Intalco until he retired in 2007. His retirement was spent fixing things, getting frustrated with the Seahawks, and vacationing at the beach whenever possible. He recently moved to a retirement community in Auburn, Washington, to be closer to family. John died on November 17th. He is survived by his wife, Sharon, his three children, Kathy Collins, Gregg Bradford, and Audra Middleton, 6 grandchildren, 2 step-grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren. A military service and a celebration of life will be held in Zillah on March 16th. Services will begin at 1pm at the Valley Hills Funeral Home Chapel. A reception will be held at the Nazarene Church after the graveside service. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of John Bradford, please visit our flower store.