A Life Story

Daniel Howard Bradley peacefully passed away on December 3, 2024, in Savannah, Georgia, at the age of 85. He was surrounded by his loving family. Born May 12, 1939, at the old Telfair Hospital, Dan was the son of the late Waldo Bradley and Helen McNatt Bradley. He attended local schools and graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he received a BS degree in Industrial Management and served as Vice President of Kappa Alpha Order.For over 56 years, Mr. Bradley served as President of Dixie Plywood Company, a wholesale distributer of plywood, lumber and allied building materials. The company held its headquarters in Savannah and operated distribution centers in eleven cities located in the Southeast and the Southwest. He also served as President of Bradley Plywood Corporation and Chatham Service Bureau, Inc. In 2019, the 75th Anniversary of the then renamed Dixie Plywood and Lumber Company, he oversaw the sale of the company to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), whereby the company became 100% employee owned.Dan remained active in the affairs of Georgia Tech for many years. He served as a member of the Georgia Tech National Advisory Board, Trustee of the Georgia Tech National Alumni Association, member of the Georgia Tech College of Management Advisory Board, member of the Georgia Tech Regional Engineering Program/Georgia Tech Savannah Advisory Board and a member of the regional Georgia Tech President's Scholarship Committee.He was an active member of Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church for over 76 years, where he served on the Administrative Board, the Board of Trustees, the Finance Committee, the Staff-Parish Relations Committee and the Building Committee. He also served as Chairman of the Endowment Committee and as Co-Chairman of the Noack Organ Campaign.Mr. Bradley was a member and former President of the Oglethorpe Club, a former President and the last surviving founding member of the Chatham Club, member and former Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Cotillion Club, member and former Governor of the Board of Stewards of the Century Club, member of the Savannah Yacht Club, the St. Andrews Society of Savannah, the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Georgia, the South Carolina Yacht Club and a former member of the Savannah Golf Club and the Forest City Gun Club.For over 20 years, he served on the Advisory Board of the Salvation Army, including a term as Chairman. He was a member and former Director of the Rotary Club of Savannah. He served 12 years as a member of the St. Joseph's Hospital Board of Trustees, where he was Chairman of the Finance Committee. He served as a member of the Board and Vice Chairman of Hospice Savannah, Inc., on the Board of Trustees of Savannah Country Day School, including the school's Endowment and Building Committees, the Telfair Museum of Art, the Savannah Foundation, Savannah Speech and Hearing Center and the Mighty Eighth Air Force Foundation. He was a former member of the Young Presidents' Organization and the World Presidents' Organization. In 2000, he was inducted into the Hardeman Province Court of Honor of Kappa Alpha Order.Dan loved wing shooting from the time he could hold a gun. He gave generously to organizations in Savannah that supported and provided for those less fortunate. He was an avid reader, a quiet leader, and a man of deep faith and utmost integrity. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He was the definition of a Gentleman. He was loyal and loving, respected and loved.He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Judith (Judy) Fessey Bradley, a son, Daniel Howard Bradley, Jr. and a daughter-in-law, Yancey Whitaker Bradley, of Savannah, his daughter, Louise Houston Bradley Johnson, and a son-in-law David Greenewald Johnson, of Spartanburg, South Carolina, and five grandchildren: Yancey Banks Bradley and Daniel Howard Bradley III, of Savannah, and David Houston Johnson, Bradley DuPre Johnson and Bennett Maxwell Johnson, of Spartanburg, and several beloved nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his brother William Waldo Bradley of Savannah, and his sister, Jane Bradley Wheeler, of Atlanta, Ga.A memorial service will be held at Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church at 2:00 pm on Saturday, December 14th. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church, 429 Abercorn Street, 31401, Hospice Savannah Foundation, PO Box 13190, Savannah, 31416, or a charity of your choice.