Retiree Tributes

For 21 years, Sharon Bradford has been the “behind the scenes” anchor in the Athletic Office, or “The Nest” as most of us know it. Always the consummate professional and perfectionist, Mrs. Bradford kept coaches and athletes on schedule each day from August to June. With 98 teams playing over 1,300 games, her attention to detail assured that officials were assigned, buses were coming, and coaches and players were in the right spot.

Standing tall at 5 foot 1, this gracious lady takes pride in doing the “little things” well. Over the years, she was extremely flexible – an important quality -- especially in the spring when she had to constantly revise the weekly schedule because of inclement weather or last minute requests from other schools.

Mrs. Bradford gained great satisfaction knowing that she “whipped” all 28 head coaches into shape. 

It is safe to say that Mrs. Bradford influenced all of her former bosses; and she made “executive decisions” when they were not in the office—which goes to show how knowledgeable she is and how much the athletic directors trusted her judgment.

According to Mickey Deegan, Mrs. Bradford will always be a ‘mom’ to the Athletic Department because she cares so deeply. Mickey says, “She listened to our heartaches, and cheered us up if we were sick or if we lost a family member. She was always part of special occasions...and yet it was the ordinary moments in a day when she did the “little things” like giving candy and hugs to the children of faculty, who called her Aunt Sharon, that were most meaningful.”

Since leaving us in October, Mrs. Bradford has enjoyed retirement by traveling and spending more time with her son, Ryan, and his wife, Liz, her grandchildren, her mom and her sister’s family. Mrs. Bradford, you have earned first place in our hearts.

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