Reid Harold Bradshaw, age 78, passed from this earth on Monday, 24 July 2023, in his home in Nibley, Utah. Reid was born 8 May 1945 in Montrose, Colorado to Cordelia Marie McDermott and Reid Hall Bradshaw. After the passing of his father in 1946, he was adopted and raised by his paternal grandmother, Olive Isabel (Steele) Bradshaw. Olive was always mom to Reid. The family moved around a lot to make ends meet. He spent time as a boy in a few places in southwestern Colorado, particularly Paradox where his great grandparents, Benjamin and Tryphena Steele lived, Mullen, Idaho for a short while with his brother Ben, and then settled in Utah with his mom, Olive and her new husband Will Richardson.
As a young man, he joined the US Navy on May 10, 1962, and served until April 15, 1965. He served doing the West PAC Tour which took him to Seattle, San Francisco, Hawaii, Western Pacific, Japan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and North and South Viet Nam. He served on the USS Shields and the USS Turner Joy. He received the decorations of Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for Viet Nam and the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon. Reid worked as a 9-70.10 Helper Boiler Room Mechanic / Operator and in the Engine Room which helped set him up for work and hobbies he had throughout his life. He always loved the Navy and later in life rejoined the reserves.
He married Peggy Ann Childs in 1965. They divorced in 1999. From that union came three children, Samantha Ann (Sammie) in 1967, Synthia (Syndie) in 1970, and Shea Hall in 1972.
Moving seemed to be in his blood. He moved many times with his young family, mostly in the Brigham City and Willard area of Utah. They stayed in Willard for several years, but the moving bug hit, and work was needed so the family moved to Wellington, Utah, near Price. This only lasted a few years and the family moved again for work and ended up in Phoenix, Arizona. Another short stay and they went back to Utah and lived in Spring Glen, near Price and finally settled for many years in Helper, Utah, also near Price.
Reid married Julia Ameret Elgaaen in 1999 and joined her and her nine children. The moving bug was still alive in Reid, and they moved from Pleasant Grove to Phoenix, Arizona where they lived for several years. After the youngest daughter was married they moved to Jerome, Idaho for a few years then with new employment offers they relocated and built a home in Nibley, Utah.
Reid was a well-rounded man with many talents. He always called himself a Jack-of-all trades Master of none. During his life he worked at a gas station, in a couple foundries for uranium and cast iron, did watch repair, and at Hill Air Force Base as a mechanic and computer tech. He tried running his own construction company (ownership was not in his blood), worked as a coal miner, did custodial and maintenance work, built and remodeled houses, apartments, and commercial buildings, and even taught construction classes at the College of Eastern Utah.
It wouldn’t have been Reid’s house if there wasn’t some old car or truck in the yard or garage to work on between keeping the family cars running. He loved working on old cars and dreamed of restoring them. Life usually got in the way, and he never saw that dream completed but he never gave up. He loved the outdoors and would drop work for fishing any chance he got. He fished up and down and all over Utah through the years. Camping was another favorite pastime that he would do throughout his life, usually to be closer to fishing.
Reid loved the gospel and served in many church callings over the years, but he especially loved teaching adult Sunday school. He was an avid reader of gospel books and scriptures. He was also fond of a friendly gospel debate and spent many hours in the kitchen at his home discussing (loose term) it with his mom. Reid always liked to talk about what he was learning or thinking about the gospel and loved it when others would engage in the discussion with him. Along with his love of reading, he had a lifelong love of learning. He was always drawn to learn more about history and archaeology.
He is preceded in death by his mom, Olive Isabel (Steele) Richardson, her first husband Lester Melvin Bradshaw, his father Reid Hall Bradshaw, his biological mother Cordelia Maria (McDermott) Holloway, a stepson Marcus Allen Fairbanks, and a great grandson Beckham Rex Sulser. Also passed are his siblings Robert Lavern Bradshaw, Melvin Franklin Bradshaw, Harold Steele Bradshaw, Verna Bradshaw, Ben Austin Bradshaw, and Bonnie Bradshaw.
He is survived by his wife Julia, his daughters Samantha Sulser (Doug) and Synthia Phillips (John) and son Shea Hall (Micha) and stepchildren Adam Fairbanks, Niki Brittain (Rick), Christen Sierra, Justin Fairbanks (Jenifer), Roman Fairbanks, Tiffany Christensen (Jacob), Samuel Fairbanks, Kirk Fairbanks (Lyndsey), and Dionne Crozier (Andrew), sister Donna Hunsaker , seven grandchildren, 23 step grandchildren, two great grandchildren.
His funeral services will be held Saturday, July 29, 2023 at the Nibley West Stake Center located at 1584 West 3200 South Nibley, UT at 11:00 am with a viewing from 9:30 am to 10:30 am.
Interment at Utah Veterans Cemetery in Bluffdale, UT.
Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at White Pine Funeral Home.
