Tom Bradrick (Teacher)

Tom Bradrick has passed away July 2, 2009
at age 79... click here for details. There was a memorial service, at 10:30 A.M., Wednesday, July 22 at Fairhaven Church, 637 East Whipp Rd. Centerville, OH 45459.

Update on CW ’64 Teachers
By: Virginia Lake Burroughs

Tom Bradrick, one of our two art teachers, retired from CW in ’87; he started his career there in ’57, the year CW was made a high school (it had been the middle school for Fairview). "That was a neat time," he says. "We wrote the alma mater and chose the mascot."

Since retiring, he does his own art work full-time, and his ceramics can be seen regularly in regional exhibits. He recently had a piece in the Dayton Visual Arts Center’s Clay show, and now has a piece in Kettering’s Rosewood Gallery’s annual show, The View. He’s also shown in some national exhibitions.

"I just finished a Piqua show," he said, "and I teach ceramics at Hithergreen Senior Center." He also just completed his second term as chairman of the Centerville Arts Council.Bradrick says that "clay’s my thing, and although I’ve done some commissioned pieces, I work mostly for myself." He presented a clay pot to President Clinton when he was in town, and also did a piece as a retirement gift for the superintendent of Centerville schools.

Speaking of "gift commissions," he well remembers the bust of Mr. Whitworth, commissioned by the Class of 1965, by the well-known Dayton sculptor, Bob Keopnick. Remember it being placed in the entranceway to the auditorium?" Well, according to Bradrick, "a kid stole it, then returned it, and it was given to Mrs. Whitworth." No one seems to know its whereabouts now (hopefully safe and sound – and appreciated - with a Whitworth), but Miss Armstrong was upset about its loss, and looked high and low for it.

Bradrick is now married to a former Fairview Scotchette - class of ’57 (she attended CW for junior high)! "That’s strange after being so involved with the Little Colonels for so long," he said. And, of course he remembers OUR Little Colonels.

On a sad note, he recalls Sherry Williams: "Sherry and I worked together after she graduated from college," he said. "I was supervisor of arts and crafts in the summer program of the county recreation department, and she was my assistant. She married Rick Bachelor from the recreation department, and they had a daughter. Then, she got cancer and died; it was a sad thing."

On a happy note, he recalls the class of ‘64 as "a neat year, with all you people in the art classes. I enjoyed working with you and remember we established a studio behind the study hall that year for Nick Stamas and Sally Teofanov."

Other names from his art classes that pop out are (besides yours truly) Shirley Floyd and Mike Harbaugh (they met in his class and are married now, and Shirley teaches art at Wayne H.S.), and Tim Potter, who started a school for advertising art in Kettering. "It’s doing very well," he said of the school, and remembers Tim as "very talented but quiet."

And who could forget the great sets that Bradrick designed and built with the help of students from his art classes? He remembers our productions: "The senior play was Skin of Our Teeth and the musical was Wonderful Town - that was a great class."