Wesley Bradley

Wesley H. Bradley passed away on October 18, 2012 at his home surrounded by his family. He was 90. Wesley H. Bradley, son of the Rev. William Holmes Bradley and Margaret Jane Bertram, was born in Chaumont, New York on August 7, 1922 after his family emigrated from Canada. He was the fifth child in the family of six children: Allan, Doris, Charles, Lois, and Jean, all now deceased. His father was a Methodist minister who served in many churches in northern New York including Brownville, Vernon and Adams. He was graduated from Adams High School in 1940 and attended Syracuse University. He participated in an accelerated undergraduate and medical school program during World War II and received his medical degree from the Syracuse University College of Medicine, now the Upstate Medical Center, in 1946. Dr. Bradley interned in Boston and served in the U. S. Navy as a medical officer at the Naval hospital in Newport, Rhode Island. He continued his training at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, specializing in otolaryngology. Dr. Bradley practiced otology in Syracuse for more than 20 years and served on the faculty of the Upstate Medical Center, teaching both medical students and residents. He was involved in pioneering work to restore hearing for those with otosclerosis. This entailed microsurgical repair of the fused bones in the middle ear, often resulting in near complete restoration of hearing. During these years, he also held leadership positions in his field of specialty including the American Otological Society, the Triological Society and Deafness Research Foundation. He served as an Examiner for the American Board of Otolaryngology for many years and was also listed in Who's Who in America. This experience led to an invitation to establish a new program in Communicative Disorders at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland in 1975. After completing this assignment, he returned to teaching, joining the faculty of the Albany Medical College in 1978 as Chief of the Otolaryngology Section at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Albany, New York. Dr. Bradley enjoyed teaching and working with medical students and residents until his retirement in 1989. Dr. Bradley was widely known and respected as a leader in his field. He was a member of Alpha Omega Alpha (the National Medical Honor Society) and the American College of Surgeons. In recognition of his outstanding service, he received Presidential citations from the American Academy of Otolaryngology in 1983, the American Otological Society in 1989 and the Triological Society in 1998. He was the author of many scientific papers and the editor of a publication celebrating the 125th anniversary of the American Otological Society. As a result of his many professional activities, he developed a large circle of friends, nationally and internationally, with whom he remained close throughout his life. Dr. Bradley practiced medicine in the same way he was raised, with ministerial care. For him, helping a patient meant healing the person. He believed that listening to the patient was an essential first step, that procedures should not be rushed and that a better quality of life was always the desired outcome. He embodied this approach in his teaching as well as his practice and is remembered with affection and gratitude by former patients, colleagues and students. Dr. Bradley, our Dad, leaves a legacy of care and compassion to his numerous friends and his family. Always seeing the glass as half full, Dad's infectious optimism touched many people. His telephone calls and letters were always greatly appreciated. His enthusiasm for life and his desire to help others was inspirational. He will be truly missed. Dad married Barbara Jean Sawyer, whom he met at Syracuse University, in September 1945. They have four sons: James Wesley (and Margaret), of Charlestown, MA; Douglas John, of Troy, NY; William Allen (and Gail) of Plattsburgh, NY; and David Stuart (and Karen) of Scotia, NY, and five beloved grandchildren: Benjamin and Erich, sons of William and Gail, and Sarah, Emily and Rachel, daughters of David and Karen. The Bradleys enjoyed travelling, especially after retirement. He also enjoyed swimming, skiing, fly-fishing, and tennis, as well as painting and music. Most of all, he was deeply committed to his family and loved to spend time with his children and grandchildren. He will be remembered as a loving husband, father and grandfather, a skilled physician, and a kind man with an extraordinary generosity of spirit. A memorial service for Dr. Bradley will be held at Trinity United Methodist Church, 235 Lark Street, Albany, NY on November 11, 2012 at 2PM. Gifts in his memory should be made to either: The Wesley and Barbara Bradley Endowed Prize for Clinical Excellence and Compassionate Care, Albany Medical Center Foundation, 43 New Scotland Avenue, Mail Code 119, Albany, NY 12208. (Established by his family in 2005, this fund provides an annual award to the graduating student at Albany Medical College who best exemplifies the qualities of compassion, communication and understanding with a dedication to providing excellence in clinical care), or the Organ Fund, Trinity United Methodist Church, 235 Lark Street, Albany, NY 12210.