Roger Headley Bradley

M, #15204, b. 28 July 1941, d. 12 May 2008
Pedigree
Father*Rev William Calvin Bradley b. 1915, d. b 17 Nov 2000
Birth*28 July 1941 Roger Headley Bradley was born on 28 July 1941 at Easton, Talbot Co., Maryland.1 
(Witness) Residence  At Swaziland, Africa, he was with his missionary parents from the early 1940s to about 1958; as a missionary from the early 1940s to about 1958.1 
Death*12 May 2008 He died on 12 May 2008 at Lucas Co., Ohio, at age 66 per obituary. 
Obituarybetween 17 May 2008 and 18 May 2008 His obituary: between 17 May 2008 and 18 May 2008 at Toledo Blade, Toledo, Lucas Co., Ohio, BRADLEY Roger H. Roger H. Bradley, 66, of Sylvania Township, went to be with the Lord Monday, May 12, 2008, following a stroke at Flower Hospital. He served over 30 years, along with his wife of 45 years, Janet, as minister of music in several area churches, as well as owning Bradley Piano Sales and Service. Roger was born in Easton, Maryland, but soon moved to Swaziland, Africa with his missionary parents, where he lived until age 17. After graduating from United Wesleyan College and Duquesne University in Pennsylvania, he taught music in the public schools in Pittsburgh, Clarence, NY and Toledo. In the 1970's he directed the Houghton College Sanctuary Choir, was the first choir director at Owens College, and directed the New Bedford Singers. His greatest passion was bringing together Christian musicians from various denominations and ethnic groups to praise God in unity. He directed music for the 22,000-strong March For Jesus in Toledo, and founded the Christian Festival Choir and Orchestra, which held concerts at the Peristyle and continues annual "Exaltation" concerts. Roger loved playing the violin and string bass in church and in five college and community orchestras, including the Toledo University Orchestra. He taught strings in his home studio and at New Life Tabernacle Christian School. He enjoyed playing for visiting artists such as Twila Paris and Phil Driscoll, and was concertmaster for the Michigan-Ohio Choir and Orchestra. Some of his hobbies included model railroading and steam train excursions and keeping an orchard, until his multiple sclerosis prevented that. In his latter years he took a great interest in helping persecuted Jews finance their move to Israel. Surviving are his wife, Jan, and his daughter and son-in-law, Karen and Ken Rhinehart of California. He was preceded in death by his parents, Calvin and Aldene (Headley) Bradley, and a son, Greg. Interment will be at the family burial site at Barratts Chapel, a historic cradle of Methodism near Frederica, Delaware. To help celebrate Roger's final victory, a memorial service open to the public will be held on Saturday May 24, at 11:00 a.m. at Whiteford Wesleyan Church, 10285 Sylvania-Petersburg Road, Ottawa Lake, MI. (Rt. 23 Exit 5). You are encouraged to bring your memories and condolences during family visitation from 10:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m. Flowers are welcome, as are tax-deductible memorial contributions to the Christian Festival Choir and Orchestra. Online condolences may be offered to the family at: www.reebfuneralhome.com.
Obituary18 May 2008 His obituary: on 18 May 2008 at Toledo Blade, Toledo, Lucas Co., Ohio, ROGER H. BRADLEY, 1941-2008
Christian musician started, led festival choir and orchestra
     Roger H. Bradley, 66, a violinist, bassist, and singer who founded a Christian choir and orchestra that featured singers and musicians from 120 churches, died Monday in Flower Hospital after a stroke.
     By day, he tuned, fixed, and sold pianos through Bradley Piano Sales and Service, run from his Sylvania Township home.
     He had multiple sclerosis since 2000. As his condition worsened he stopped piano tuning, violin playing, and, finally, directing the choir at St. Paul's United Methodist Church near downtown Toledo, his wife, Jan, said.
     Earlier he gave up directing the Christian Festival Choir and Orchestra, which he founded in 1982 to bring together choirs and musicians from churches around northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan.
     The group held annual concerts through 1987. Concerts resumed in 1996 and, through the years, have been held at the Peristyle, SeaGate Centre, Lourdes College, and at high schools.
     "It was his vision," said Denise Spohler, secretary of the group. "Roger just had a way of masterminding getting all these church choirs together and wanted this wonderful choir of all these denominations together, crossing cultural lines. It was more than denominations. It was colors and cultures together."
     That was his aim, said his wife, who helped him organize the events and who played keyboards in them.
     Mr. Bradley was born in Maryland, but grew up in southern Africa from ages 4 to 17. His parents were missionaries in Swaziland. He came to Toledo to teach music at the majority black Spencer-Sharples schools in western Lucas County. And he was music minister at churches across a variety of denominations.
     So the Christian choir and orchestra "was his greatest passion," his wife said. "He almost felt he was born to bring unity to the church."
     His day job financed his calling. He tuned pianos in homes, schools, and concert halls in 13 counties.
     "He's better known in the general community for his piano tuning than for his church-choir directing," his wife said. "[The concerts] never paid for themselves. He always had to kick in thousands of dollars. The piano business gave him the ability to do that."
     He was a former concertmaster of the Michigan-Ohio Choir and Orchestra, which holds annual Christmas concerts. He accompanied visiting Christian singers in their Toledo concerts.
     When more than 22,000 people walked and sang their way around East Toledo in 1997 on the annual March for Jesus, Mr. Bradley was music director.
     He received an associate's degree from United Wesleyan College, Allentown, Pa., and a bachelor's degree from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh.
     Because of multiple sclerosis, he put aside his model railroading hobby. But he liked riding on trains pulled by steam locomotives and took excursions in Yellowstone National Park and to northern Ontario above the tree line.
     "He said [a steam locomotive] was the ultimate musical instrument, and the more cinders flying in your eyes, the better," his wife said.
     Surviving are his wife, Jan Bradley, whom he married Aug. 11, 1962, and daughter Karen Rhinehart.
     There will no visitation. Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Whiteford Wesleyan Church in Ottawa Lake, Mich., where the family will greet friends after 10 a.m. Saturday. Arrangements are by the Reeb Funeral Home, Sylvania.
     The family suggests tributes to the Christian Festival Choir and Orchestra. 
Burial* He was buried at Barratts Chapel Cemetery, Frederica, Kent Co., Delaware.1 

Family
Child
Last Edited8 Sep 2011

Citations

  1. [S1901] Find A Grave http://www.findagrave.com, Memoria l #26874174.
  2. [S1760] Research done by Jehu Margaret Reed (deceased).