Community Corner

Friends Recall Bradbury, a Dedham 'Icon'

Bradbury gave decades to helping local veterans returning from war.

Two words classic of his generation sum up James Bradbury, better known as Big Jim: family and veterans.

"He was bigger than life. He was an icon that Dedham will probably never see again," said Larry Rooney, a friend of Bradbury's.

Friends recalled the 82-year-old Dedham resident who died Friday as someone who cared deeply about his large family and helping veterans when they returned home.

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Bradbury was born in 1929 in Dedham, attended the Ames School and Ames Junior High School before moving on to be a three-sport athlete at Dedham High School, graduating in 1947, friends recalled.

"He was a friend you could really depend upon. I am really proud of his friendship," said life-long friend Francis O'Brien. "I still cherish his friendship today." 

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Bradbury left Dedham and joined the Army a year later and shipped off to Korea, fighting in the Battle of of the Chosin Reservoir.

When he returned to the states, he took up what would become his great passion: helping those who served the country - particularly those injured and disabled.

"He made sure all veterans were taken care of," Rooney said in a phone interview. "If you mentioned that a veteran needed something, Jim Bradbury would be there."

Along with his brother Frederick and a few friends, Bradbury helped to start Dedham's Honor Guard. For more than 50 years, Bradbury volunteered his time by attending funeral services of veterans, Memorial and Veterans day events and parades - as many as 35 a year, Bradbury once estimated.

"When his brother passed away, he carried the torch from there. He was very proud to be the head of the Honor Guard of the American Legion," Rooney said. 

As a final token of his commitment to helping veterans, the family has asked for donations to be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, in lieu of flowers.

Bradbury and his wife Doreen raised four children - three daughters and a son. The Bradbury patriarch has eight grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews.

"He loved his family and he loved his friends, and they loved him back," Rooney said.

As if fighting in Korea wasn't enough, Bradbury, called a "man's man," stuck his neck on the line for neighbors when he joined the Dedham Fire Department.

Bradbury remained very active in the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Dedham, serving on the Legion's executive committee for a number of years.

"He was an outstanding veterans advocate. He worked very hard – not only for the veterans, but for their families," O'Brien said Wednesday.

The Dedham Board of Selectmen recognized Bradbury for his service to the town and the country in December 2011. A humble, but comical Bradbury finished his remarks that evening with:

"I did what I had to do and I’m proud of what I did," Bradbury said. "I did it with pride. I just hope I did it right."


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