Calvin Eugene Bradbury, Sr.

Calvin Eugene Bradbury, Sr., age 83, of Prosser, passed away on Friday, Oct. 6, 2006 at Prosser Memorial Hospital.

Cal was born on May 14, 1923 in Ellensburg, as the only child of Calvin Elliott Bradbury and Nina Stanley (Richards) Bradbury. He was raised in Beverly and Ellensburg, graduating from Ellensburg High School in 1941. He moved to Seattle to work at the shipyards until he entered the U.S. Army in 1943. Cal's unit moved into Normandy, then Northern France, Ardennes and Central Europe. His unit was the first Americans to help liberate Buchenwald. He received five battle stars and a sharp shooting medal. He was honorably discharged in 1946.

Cal returned to Ellensburg to attend college on the G.I. Bill, where he also met his wife, Virginia Trosky. The couple married in Ellensburg on Nov. 26, 1946. Cal earned a bachelor's degree in Education from Central Washington University in 1950. He attained a fifth year by attending CWU and Eastern Washington University during summer vacations.

Cal and Virginia made Prosser their home in 1950 when he took a teaching position with the Prosser School District for one year. He then worked at Hanford and sold life insurance before returning to education. He worked for the Mabton School District for twenty-five years as a teacher and retired as high school principal. In 1980, he was deeply touched having been honored when the high school yearbook was dedicated to him. Cal later worked as a realtor for Frontier Brokers ten years, retiring in 2003. He also developed two farms on Royal Slope and later a cherry orchard in Prosser.

Cal enjoyed sports, deep sea fishing, reading, playing the trumpet, violin and piano, singing and was a member of the Cowboy Rodeo Band in Ellensburg. He also loved traveling, including several trips to Hawaii, New Orleans and Europe and a three month road trip around the circumference of the United States. For 25 years, he and his wife traveled to Reno at Thanksgiving with the "Trupp Group." He was a member of the Eagle's Lodge, Washington State School Retirees Association (WSSRA) and a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Cal is survived by his wife of nearly sixty years, Virginia Bradbury of Prosser; his daughter, Nina Bradbury Boehm and her husband, Bruce of Las Vegas, Nev.; two sons, Calvin Bradbury of Prosser and Calvin Morley of England; and one granddaughter, Amy Bradbury of Prosser. He was preceded in death by a grandson, Jeremy Bradbury.

A celebration of life for Cal will be held on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 1 p.m. at Prosser Funeral Home. Full Military Honors will be provided by members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and AM Vets. Memorial contributions may be made to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Prosser Post, #3207 c/o Prosser Funeral Home, P.O. Box 409 Prosser, WA 99350.