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Obituary of Rolfe Douglas Bradbury
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Rolfe Douglas “Doug” Bradbury, 86, of Morgantown, West Virginia and formerly of Lufkin, Texas, passed away on Saturday, September 26, 2015 in hospice care at Sundale Nursing Home in Morgantown.
Doug was born on August 19, 1929 in Malden, Massachusetts to the late Rolfe C. and Vivian Bradbury. He grew up in Chillicothe, Ohio, graduating from Chillicothe High School in 1947. He attended The Ohio State University for two years until he joined the United States Navy in September 1950. He served honorably as an aerial and ground photographer stateside during the Korean Conflict until July 1954. He returned to The Ohio State University where, while completing his Bachelor’s degree in Conservation, Doug met the love of his life, Kathryn “Kay” Lentz. They married in 1956 after he graduated and they moved to East Lansing, Michigan where Doug got his Master’s degree in Forestry from Michigan State University. After graduating in 1959, Doug and Kay moved to Georgia where he worked for Georgia Kraft Paper Company and where their first son, John, was born. In 1961 Doug joined the United States Forest Service as a forester in New Castle, Virginia, where their second son, James, was born. In 1966 the family moved to San Augustine, Texas where they lived until 1973, when they moved to Lufkin, Texas. Doug retired from the US Forest Service in 1992 with 35 years of Federal government service. Doug and Kay lived in Lufkin for 38 years until moving to Morgantown in 2011.
Doug was preceded in death five weeks earlier by his loving wife of more than 58 years, Kathryn “Kay” Bradbury of Morgantown. He is survived by two sons, John Bradbury and wife Patti of Morgantown, and James Bradbury and wife Karen of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin; two grandchildren, Justin Steckbauer of Wausau, Wisconsin and Stephanie Fox of Madison, Wisconsin; two brothers, Harold Bradbury and wife Barbara of Chillicothe, Ohio, and William Bradbury and wife Marilyn of Rochester, Minnesota; and a number of nephews, nieces, and cousins.
Doug was an amateur radio operator, call sign NI5R. He loved to hunt and fish, play golf, watch and feed wild birds, and take photographs of wild birds and animals, the great outdoors, and his family. He was especially devoted to his wife, Kay. As James said after he passed, “I guess he just missed my mom too much.”
Doug’s family wishes to thank the doctors, nurses, aides, and staff at Sundale Nursing Home in Morgantown and at Heritage Pointe Assisted Living in Morgantown, and the nurses, social workers, and staff at Morgantown Hospice for their compassionate care of Doug.
Cremation services were provided by McCulla Funeral Home. A family celebration of Doug’s and Kay’s lives will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org.
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