RICHARD BRADSHAW, Obituary

Richard M. Bradshaw, 59, died Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2002, in Billings following a long battle with cancer.

Funeral services will be 4 p.m. Thursday at the Fifth Avenue Christian Church with the Rev. Rowlie Hutton officiating.

Bradshaw was born on May 14, 1943, in Roswell, N.M.

He attended Utah State University and Weber State College with studies in botany and chemistry.

Richard served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps during the Vietnam War, where he began his career as a clinical laboratory scientist. He served with the 542 Medical Field Hospital and the 17th Field Hospital in Vietnam. He was given the U.S. Army Commendation Medal for his work in tropical medicine research.

Richard spent many summers with the U.S. Forest Service as a firefighter and three seasons as a smokejumper stationed out of McCall, Idaho. He also was an insurance trust administrator for the majority of the Hutterite people of Montana, was trained as an auctioneer at Rocky Mountain College, and was instrumental in starting the American Cancer Society Bachelor Auction in Great Falls.

He married Maureen D. Nardinger in 1972.

Richard was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed shooting sports, fishing, hiking, camping, and more particularly, his artwork of Montana's prairies, rivers and streams. He was a published author, both in poetry and short stories.

He was a Master Mason and 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason.

He was preceded in death by his father, John R.J. Bradshaw; and mother, Dorothy J. Bradshaw.

Survivors include his children, Robert William, Erin Elizabeth, Preston Michael and Andrew Joseph, all at home in Havre with their mother; sister, Bridget Due Bradshaw; his special friend, Jackie Oe of Billings; and cousin, Quenton (Ruthie) Ford of Las Cruces, N.M.