RIP Harvey
Daily News reporter Suzanne Ulbrich had a story Friday on the recent passing of Harvey Bradshaw, who was well-known in the Dixon High School community. Bradshaw, who I spoke to many times at ball games, worked at the Topsail Voice weekly newspaper.
Here’s Suzanne’s story.
Dixon High School, community lose a friend
Even in death, Harvey Bradshaw continues to show his deep affection for Dixon High School students.
Bradshaw, who passed away Aug. 19, after battling lung cancer, requested in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Dixon-Grant-Bradshaw Scholarship Fund, created last year.
Bradshaw, a Dixon sports fan for many years, wrote articles and took numerous photographs of athletic events for the Topsail Voice weekly newspaper.
“You didn’t ever go to a Dixon High School ballgame that you didn’t find Harvey,” said Ray Barwick, a friend and previous colleague of Bradshaw’s when he did freelance work. “The kids loved him to death — I’m jealous to be frank with you.”
Bradshaw was a great supporter of our school, said John Shannon, Dixon High School’s principal.
“He has always taken a special interest in our kids and our faculty, and was such a great leadership role model for our kids, staff members and coaches,” he said. “He will be greatly missed and not forgotten … he was genuine with people. It was not a job for him; it was truly enjoyable for him to be here.”
Bradshaw had been slated to be the first guest speaker on “Tales of our Town,” a new project in development by Sneads Ferry Community Theatre, because of his deep ties and roots in the community, unfortunately he passed away before he could share his oral history with others, said Marsha Hamilton, the organizer of the project.
“It is sad we won’t get to hear his (presentation), he was such a key figure in the community,” she said. “In the short time I have gotten to know him, I can say the man was just a sweetheart, and so giving and helpful.”
His deep roots in Sneads Ferry lead him to help with a local documentary on Sneads Ferry fisherman.
Matthew Barr, a University of North Carolina at Greensboro Filmmaker and Professor, who crated the documentary “Wild Caught: The Life Struggles of an American Fishing Town” about Sneads Ferry in 2006 said Bradshaw’s help was invaluable and it lead to a very special friendship.
“The very first interview I did was with Harvey at his family’s cemetery in Sneads Ferry —some of the graves date back 1692,” he said. “Twelve generations of Grants lived in Sneads Ferry — which is incredible with the way people move around these days. From that point on he became a friend and a mentor. He contributed funds (for the documentary) and got friends to contribute — he had a lot of empathy for fishing people and for people in general. He was a true gentleman, and there are not many left. He was a gentle person, and an intellectual … his death is a devastating loss … there’s no replacing him.”
He said he will most miss breakfasts with Bradshaw at the Clamdigger in Sneads Ferry.
“Every time I came into town we would meet at the Clamdigger for breakfast with (Bernice Guthrie), I would sit for hours listening to their stories — including the stories of his incredible life in the Marine Corp. … they will be greatly missed.”
Bradshaw received a Bachelor of Art degree in journalism in 1954 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, but his love of flying led him to a commission in the Marine Corps, where his career burgeoned.
He served in the Marine Corps for 26 years, retiring as a Colonel and Chief of Staff at Cherry Point. He flew 306 combat missions in Vietnam in 1967, receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross and 23 Air Medals. He was honored as Marine Corps “Aviator of the Year” in 1977.
Upon moving back to Sneads Ferry in the mid 1980’s he developed the Grantwood subdivision on Everett’s Creek, naming the streets in honor of family members.
Ken Scarborough, who became friends with Bradshaw while serving with him in the Marine Corps, describes his friend as “a gentleman who was always fun and who loved to have fun.”
“He was an outstanding Marine Corps officer and a wonderful person,” he said. “His call sign was “Happy” and that described him. He was happy and he tried to make people he came in contact with happy.”
His friendship with Bradshaw lead he and his wife to relocate to Sneads Ferry.
“We’ve been here five and a half happy years, and he was instrumental in that,” Scarborough said.
Guthrie, a long time Sneads Ferrian, who is also very active in the community, said she too will miss the breakfasts at the Clamdigger, but she will also miss his generosity.
“He helped me a whole lot with the Shrimp Festival — anytime I asked him for anything he was just obliging … anything I came to him with,” she said. “I can’t hardly think of being here without him – he was such a vibrant person and so much a part of Sneads Ferry.”
Barr said he could share many wonderful stories about Bradshaw, but laughed when he told of Bradshaw’s trip to Mt. Airy to attend his wedding.
“When my wife and I got married in 2003, he drove from Sneads Ferry with 20 pounds of headed shrimp caught by Mack Liverman — a veteran fisherman in that town — it was a big hit with the guests and the highlight of the wedding … you couldn’t ask for a better friend, and there’s nothing better in this world than friendship — that was Harvey.”
Bradshaw is survived by his two sons, H.D. “Toby” Bradshaw of Seattle, Wash. and Paul Race Bradshaw of Tallahassee, Fla. and four grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at Dixon High School Saturday at 11 a.m.
Donations should be sent to the Dixon-Grant-Bradshaw Scholarship Fund at Dixon High School, 160 Dixon School Road, Holly Ridge, NC 28445.
