Obituary of Joan Bradley

Joan (Violette) Bradley was born November 13, 1941 in Boston, Massachusetts to Ethel Thomas. She spent her early years in Caribou, Maine raised by Ethel and Coleman Violette, and later moved to East Hartford, Connecticut.

A 1959 graduate of East Hartford high school, Joan met James Bradley Jr, a 1958 graduate of East Hartford High School, in the fall of 1964. They had their first date at a Hartford Charter Oaks football game at Dillon Stadium and were married a short time after that on May 29, 1965. They moved to Glastonbury where they embarked upon their long-enduring and loving journey together.

Joan raised four children, and when the youngest went off to school in 1979, she joined the Glastonbury Volunteer Ambulance Association where she would respond to thousands of emergency calls over the course of 43 years, day and night.

Joan earned her associate degree in nursing from Greater Hartford Community College and worked as a medical surgical nurse at Manchester Memorial Hospital. She continued her education at Central Connecticut State University, earning her bachelor’s degree in nursing at the age of 50. Upon retiring from Manchester Memorial Hospital, she immediately started a career as an oncology nurse at UConn Health in Farmington, Connecticut. She retired from that role at age 70.  Her “retirement” included pursuing and completing her certification in Sexual Assault Forensics, working as a nurse for a pediatric practice in Glastonbury, volunteering for Doctors without Borders in the Dominican Republic, as well as home care nursing, providing medical infusions to patients who became family to her over the following decade.  All of this, while continuing to volunteer for Glastonbury EMS and teaching CPR classes through the American Red Cross.

In her ‘spare time’, Joan loved to cook and could always be found whipping up some delicious baked goods for her grandchildren or friends. She was very frugal and could stretch her food budget by making her own jams, canning tomatoes, making amazing pickles, and freezing meals that she would always have on hand to feed a crowd. Although she did once try to wipe out her entire family on Martha’s Vineyard, cooking some ribs that may have exceeded their expiration date. She was always the last to sit and eat, and once she did, almost every time, the ambulance tones would sound, and she’d hastily exit (once she found her car keys!).

She loved to travel, and never said ‘no’ to an opportunity to do so, including trips to Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Russia, Estonia, Germany, Ireland, Scotland, Paris and the BVI. Many of the funniest stories shared by her family involved adventures and misadventures when traveling abroad.  Above all her worldwide travels, Joan most enjoyed hosting kids and grandkids every year for a vacation on Martha’s Vineyard.  The Edgartown Stop and Shop did not have a dedicated parking space for her, but they might as well have.

In addition to travel and cooking, Joan enjoyed knitting and sewing which was more of an addiction than a hobby – from Halloween costumes to Easter outfits and the endless hats, mittens and blankets for all the little ones that came along.  She was always trying her hand at whatever was the latest trend. She could not resist starting new projects – finishing them was another story!  Attic bins, bags and boxes overflowed with her “love” of the craft. Not surprisingly, Joan also had a soft spot for animals. She adopted numerous cats and dogs from local shelters and found herself in the spotlight after she notoriously rescued a runaway monkey when she was just 22.

Joan was revered, respected, admired, and loved by her co-workers, her employers, her patients and her family, many of whom know her as a life and work mentor.

Joan passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones on Saturday, August 31, 2024. She leaves behind her husband of 59 years, James E. Bradley Jr of Glastonbury, her brother Coleman Violette of Windsor Locks, her sister Carolyn Buhlman of Winona Lake, Indiana, her four children James E. Bradley III (Jamie O’Keefe) of Lamoine, Maine, Jenifer Rizza (John) of Marlborough, Stephanie Grikas (Perry Waite, Jr) of Glastonbury and Andrea Moran (Sean) of Woodbury. She also leaves behind eight cherished grandchildren, Jack, Brendan and Avery Rizza, Joshua, Christian and Michael Grikas, Sean Jr and Regan Moran.

A gathering to celebrate and remember Joan’s extraordinary life will take place at the Glastonbury Boathouse, 252 Welles St, Glastonbury on October 6 from 12 noon to 4 pm with rememberances at 1pm. 

In lieu of flowers, donations in Joan’s memory can be made to:

Glastonbury EMS (https://glastonbury-ems.squarespace.com/) or by check to G-EMS, P.O. Box 453, Glastonbury CT 06033. The ALS foundation (donate.als.org)