Dr. Bruce Edward Bradley November 16, 1937 - June 27, 2024
Bruce E. Bradley, age 86, of Chelsea, MI, passed away peacefully on June 27, 2024 at his home after a long illness. Bruce was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. He loved Pittsburgh and enjoyed all that Pittsburgh had to offer. He was an avid Steelers and Pirates fan his whole life. Bruce attended the University of Pittsburgh where he attained his DDS and PhD.
He served two years on active duty in the US Navy dental core from 1962 until 1964. He continued his naval career as naval reservist for 37 years achieving the rank of Captain.
After obtaining his PhD in 1974, Bruce was hired by the University of Michigan and spent his career in the Department of Oral Surgery teaching Pharmacology, Dental Anesthesia, and doing research. He retired as an associate professor in November of 2000. He enjoyed a wide variety of hobbies and interests including scuba diving, fly fishing, music, art, literature, and nature. He especially enjoyed gardening with a particular interest in cultivating and growing hardy rhododendron hybrids which beautify his yard today. He also loved spending time with family and friends at his cabin in Cross Fork, PA in the heart of the “Wilds of Pennsylvania.” Bruce was very personable and was known for his quick wit and sense of humor. Our lives were richer for having known him. He was loved and will be missed by all of his family and friends.
He is survived by his wife, Kathryn (Linder) Bradley, his three children, Geoffrey Bradley (Deborah), Douglas Bradley (Patrice), and Gwendolyn Neely (Billy), as well as four grandchildren: Marcy Klaczynski (Joe), Dylan Bradley, Taylor Blake (Joe), Cooper Bradley, and six great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his former wife, Nancy McDowell, who is the mother of his children.
A private family celebration of life will be held in Cross Fork, PA at a later date. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made in Bruce’s name to the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center or the Cross Fork Sportsmen’s Club.
