Memories of John "JB" Atwater Bradley

In memory of

John "JB" Atwater Bradley

Wallkill, NY, USA

December 23, 1931 - February 23, 2021

Dec 23, 1931 - Feb 23, 2021

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Nathan Byrne

2010, Awosting Reserve, Wallkill, NY, USA

Tim King and I first met John Bradley in 2010 when we came to look at the 'Gate House', to possibly rent for the upcoming summer 'season'. Like Jules Kaufman, I thought I was meeting Neil Harris but soon learned, Neil was one of John's many alias's. While we didn't end up renting the 'Gate House', we did end up at 'La Casita', where we have enjoyed the company of JB and the magnificence of Awosting scenery.

Mr Bradley, JB, mostly Sir... never John to me, was the most colorful person I'd ever met. His magical stories, bright colored clothes, funny foreign language greetings, his enthusiastic energy and his fatherly concern made a big impact on our lives. Over the years he took the role of the Grandfather I never had.

I'm very grateful that we shared time together and I'm sad he's no longer with us. We celebrate his life because his is a life truly worth celebrating!

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Nathan Byrne

2011, Awosting Reserve, Wallkill, NY, USA

John and Rebecca Bullene

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Nathan Byrne

2011, Awosting Reserve, Wallkill, NY, USA

Murder Mystery Weekend

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Please consider a donation to JB's Memorial Totem Pole at Awosting!.

$6,776.00

total raised

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Tricia McKenna

Oh how I will miss our many phone calls made over our 20 years of friendship ... his often beginning in a foreign language !!! What a wonderful sense of humor. Bradley was a faithful & supportive friend...Visiting with him in Princeton during his stay at the Conger's was always a treat. I even bird sat Thisbee during one reunion !!! Bradley's humor and caring ways will always remain in my heart.
I know he is a bright star in the heavens. He is sorely missed.
Affectionately Tricia

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Patty MacDougall

1993, New York City and Lake Awosting

John and I became acquainted through my sister, Ann MacDougall and her husband, Jules Kaufman when they began to rent and later purchase property from John. I would see John hiking the trails upstate whenever I went up to visit my family and he would often join us for dinner and tell his tales (of which there were many). John mentioned he was in need of help organizing accounts and files at his office and later his home office and as I was between television production jobs, I became that "assistant" - logging invoices, banking records etc for his mining, lumber, land and other enterprises. During this time he would regale me with tales from his days at Princeton, The Knickerbocker Club, The Court in The Hague and oh so many more. His daughter, Camilla, still a school girl at the time would bop in and out of the apartment between classes and appointments and gatherings with friends and we became familiar with each other as well. Eventually I became employed full time elsewhere and could no longer offer my services to John but we always stayed in touch. John would call me every now and then using some silly voice trying to convince me it was not he... never worked. Knowing I have a deep love and appreciation for frogs, John would always tell me tales of the frogs in his Awosting pool and even gave me a sketch/drawing of a frog, an antique garden frog statue and most recently, a frog lamp he found among his things. John was a character, I can honestly say I have never met anyone like him nor expect to ever again. If heaven has a phone book, look for the last entry in the Z's - it will be John's number.

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Comments:

Camilla Bradley

Love it Patty. Love it Patty. Love it Patty.

Share your sympathy. Send flowers from a local florist to John's family or funeral.

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Jules Kaufman and Ann MacDougall Kaufman/MacDougall

1989, Gardiner, NY, USA

One summer day in the late 80's while I was climbing in the Gunks, Ann met a ranger on smiley's point, a spit of land jutting into the middle of Lake Awosting. The next weekend we responded to an ad for a rental in Gardiner with access to trails and streams and we met Mr. Reed at the gatehouse. Well, Mr. Reed and the ranger were one and the same and it was John! He approved of our red Jeep Cherokee and agreed to rent us the gatehouse for the summer. The rest is history. We hiked the trails together, explored "silver mines", played tennis with the young Camilla, swam in the streams and the deep pool at the Lodge and many many Saturday evenings we knew to cook extra food knowing John would likely wander down to join us for a barbecue dinner over the primitive stone grill at the gatehouse, where he regaled us with stories of the Kennedys, the McArthurs, his consulting projects in Venezuela, the Caribbean, his run-ins with certain heads of school in NYC that Camilla attended, the quality of the air and water at Awosting and "on and on" as he would say. For anyone who knew him, there were no shortage of stories!
He has been a constant in our lives, he became Uncle John to our kids and after some challenging tests (like peeing in the woods :), annointed them as Junior Rangers. He never ceased to surprise us with snakes, turtles and an assortment of animals he would find. He showed up at one of our parties in his golf cart dressed as an army officer and at another he was in a bathrobe and straw boater. He also renamed the old Shirleigh trail at Awosting as Shirley in honor of my mother. We ended up buying some property from him nearby and now have a trail named the Bradley Loop in his honor.
Every time John called, he started out in German or Dutch before announcing himself. Of course I knew it was him because his is the only number that always came up as 'private'.
We miss him.

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Comments:

Nathan Byrne

So elegantly described. John was certainly was a one of kind and it's not the same without him... he's ... Read more So elegantly described. John was certainly was a one of kind and it's not the same without him... he's greatly missed. Nathan... Read more So elegantly described. John was certainly was a one... Read more

Camilla Bradley

Jules and Ann!! I LOVE IT.... thank you for sharing. Jules and Ann!! I LOVE IT.... thank you for sharing. Jules and Ann!! I LOVE IT.... thank you for sharing.... Read more