BETH LORRAINE BRADLEY (WILSON)

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BETH LORRAINE BRADLEY (nee WILSON) On the afternoon of May 8, 2018, after spending a wonderful morning in the sunshine with her children and grand-children, our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and aunt, Beth Lorraine Bradley, passed away peacefully, at the age of 78, while surrounded by her children. Beth was predeceased by her husband Clint, sister Joan Hill, and parents Bob and Cecilia (Toots) Wilson. Left to cherish her memory are her children, Brant Bishop (Shari), Bruce Bishop (Wendy), Shannon Bradley, as well as seven grandchildren: Kelly (Scott), Terri (Peter), Kendall, Brandon, Taylor, Sarah and Brooke, great-granddaughter Tenley, along with numerous nieces and nephews. Born on August 20, 1939, Beth grew up in the West End of Winnipeg, where she made many lifelong friends. Beth was active as a child, playing the violin for many years, culminating in being a member of the Winnipeg Junior Symphony Orchestra. She was also a cheerleader for her high school at Daniel Mac and then a cheerleader with the Blue Bomberettes for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Beth began her working career at Air Canada where she met and married the father of her two sons. After her short marriage, Beth became a single mother and she and the boys moved in with her Grandma Garrett on Simcoe Street. Beth then worked as a keypunch operator for C. P. Rail, supporting the earliest versions of computers in the business world. She later moved to the Sturgeon Creek area to be closer to her sister and brother-in-law, Joan and Bud Hill, and her parents. Her sister Joan was a tremendous help to Beth by watching the boys while she worked full-time, sometimes day and night while working two jobs. The love of her life, Clint Bradley and his daughter Shannon, came into her life in 1968 and their two families merged to become one. Beth's and her boys' lives changed significantly from that time forward with a move to the Crestview area of St. James, when they were first introduced to barbecue steak. Beth and Clint loved to entertain, travel, participate in sports with the kids, camp and prepare large and elaborate meals for friends and family. Beth especially loved Christmas and all of the decorating associated to the occasion. Beth and Clint would transform their home from top to bottom with the most elaborate Christmas decorations and the most beautifully decorated tree. Christmas dinner would include elegant place settings and an exquisite meal topped off with homemade Christmas pudding. In the summer, Beth loved to camp at Falcon Lake with her sister Joan and the families. The Dads would come down on the weekend to break out the boat and we would all water ski, including Beth. Beth also loved to spend many weeks at her parent's cottage at Pointe du Bois, the Bradley cabin at Lake of the Woods and the Kremer cottage on Sandy Lake. She loved to tan and would slather on the baby oil and lie in the sun for hours with the ladies. Beth also loved to play cards, and she and a number of her friends started the "Little Hubba Club", where they'd play cards weekly at alternating homes. They chain smoked, had a few drinks, played cards and laughed until the wee hours of the morning. Mom truly loved doing this with her close friends and sister Joan. Beth and Clint loved to socialize with their many great friends over the years (you know who you are) and the basement on Danbury was the site of many rocking parties. The couches would be pushed back, the old 1978 records would make an appearance, the music would be blasting and Beth, Clint and their closest friends would Jive dance the night away. Poor kids never got any sleep during these great parties! Bruce learned from the best and had many house parties himself (much to the chagrin of our parents). Later in life, after the boys left home, Beth worked at a florist shop. This was a job she thoroughly loved because of her green thumb and passion for decorating and arranging. This love of flowers and arranging was cultivated over many years while creating their backyard oasis on Danbury Bay. Their yard was beautifully manicured around the pool and was the site of many family gatherings and barbecues. As Beth and Clint neared retirement, they began to travel extensively, including a trip of a lifetime to Fiji. Beth managed to break her ankle on this trip, but she sure enjoyed being carried around by the big handsome Fijian men afterwards! Beth and Clint wanted to instill the importance of travelling to their children, and brought them to a beautiful, turn of the century mansion in Jamaica overlooking Discovery Bay along with Beth's parents to make many lifetime family memories. After retirement Beth and Clint evolved into snowbirds and spent many years as Winter Texans in Harlingen, Texas at Palm Gardens. They developed many close friendships over the years there. They lived like 20 year olds! Every day there was a different gathering at 4:00 p.m. for "cocktail hour." They golfed, fished on South Padre Island, had tailgate beach parties, Sunday champagne brunches at the Sheraton with bottomless mimosas, Friday day trips across the Rio Grande to Progresso, Mexico for $1.00 margaritas, day dancing with the mariachi bands and bartering with the local vendors. Beth and Clint loved dining, dancing and living it up! Brant and Shari joined them a few times and were astonished at their fast paced lifestyle, it was tough to keep up to the "retirees"! Beth and Clint loved candlelight dinners and watching the sunsets on the beach from many tropical locations. Mom created the foundation of our lives, instilling very important core values of honesty and integrity. She had a strong moral compass and that factored into every decision she ever made. For Mom it was always family first. In her own words, "Really and truthfully, I've lived a good life." A tremendous void has been left with her passing, a void that is hard to imagine can be filled by anyone. In keeping with Beth's pre-planned wishes, there will be no service, just a gathering of close family and friends for a celebration of her life. Thank you for being who you were and thank you for our lives. We love you and miss you immensely. Her final thought to her grandchildren, "Live life to its fullest." You're an angel now Mom, "Fly safe." www.voyagefuneralhomes.com

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on May 12, 2018