ROANOKE, Va.
Harry Wood Bradshaw of Roanoke, Virginia, passed away Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016.
Harry’s great passion when he was 5 years old was to fly airplanes. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in October 1953 and became a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne. After serving two years in the Army, he was honorably discharged and moved back to Crothersville.
On Dec. 2, 1955, he married Wanda Jewel Peyton and started taking flying lessons on the GI Bill in 1956. After many, many hours of study and lots of coffee, he earned all of his ratings and started working as a flight instructor for Central American Airways in Augusta, Georgia.
In 1962, he moved to Roanoke to fly as a private pilot for Roanoke Woodworking. In 1965, he was blessed to be hired by Piedmont Airlines. He always loved his job with Piedmont and retired as a captain of the Boeing 727 in 1989. While flying for Piedmont, he was loaned to Norfolk and Western Railway for five years, which was a wonderful experience.
Harry was a member of CommUNITY Church in Salem, Virginia, and loved all of his church family. He also was a member of Gideons International and the Quiet Birdmen of America. He spent his retirement years enjoying his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and will be greatly missed by all of them as well as his wife, children and many friends and acquaintances.
Surviving are his wife of 61 years, Wanda Peyton Bradshaw; children, LeAnna (Mike) Stern, Joe Peyton (Angie) Bradshaw and Robert Carlton Bradshaw; grandchildren, James Adam Stern, Jessica (Neal) Martin, Brooke Ashlee’ Bradshaw and Joe Peyton Bradshaw II; great-grandchildren, Austan, Aaron and Ayden Stern and Ava Grace and Eston Martin; brother, Jack O’Brien Bradshaw of Columbus; and a number of nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by four sisters; seven brothers; and his parents, Joseph and Lucille Pardom Bradshaw.
The family would like to thank Dr. Marc Currie, Dr. Nelson Green, the staff of Good Samaritan Hospice and Angela Bradshaw for Harry’s excellent care.
The funeral service will be at 2:30 p.m. today at Simpson Funeral Home in Roanoke with pastors Tom McCracken and Dan Carawan officiating. Interment will be at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens.