Obituary
Carol Joyce Potrafke Bradbury, 91, of Sparr, passed away on August 3, 2019 in Sparr.
A memorial service will be held at 10:00 am Monday, August 19, 2019 at Sparr United Methodist Church, 13100 NE Jacksonville Rd, Sparr. Fl., with Rev. Jackie Beard officiating. Her dear friend, Joyce Crosby, of Citra, FL, will provide special music.
Carol was born in the Cincinnati, Ohio area to Ellen Manning and Henry Potrafke on July 30, 1928. She went to school at Deer Park and Monroe High Schools. She married William Bradbury on February 18, 1952 in Bethany, Ohio. She graduated from the Christ Hospital School of Nursing in 1949. Carol worked as a nurse for many years in Ohio, including seven years as school nurse for the Deerfield-Union School district.
Carol was a devoted member of the Sparr United Methodist Church, serving for many years on the church board as treasurer, leading the United Methodist Women and participating in both the chancel and gospel choirs. Through the UMW she was a fervent supporter of UMCOR – particularly their Sager-Brown depot in Baldwin, La.
No longer working in nursing while raising her youngest daughter, born after the move to Florida, Carol found a new devotion – Girl Scouting. She was a long-time leader in the Heart of Florida Girl Scout Council, served as troop leader, was an instructor at Camp Wildwood and received the Thanks badge from the council. Through scouting, Carol touched the lives of hundreds of young girls, their mothers and leaders over the years. Even now, years later, some of her dearest friends and fondest memories center around scouting and Camp Wildwood.
Carol is preceded in death by her former husband, her parents, her beloved cousins and pseudo sisters Lucy Ballbach and Ellen Nippert.
Carol is survived by her brother, Donald Potrafke of Loveland, Ohio and his wife Marjorie; her five daughters Marsha Beachal of Paducah, Kentucky, Holly Cannon and her husband James Cannon of Young Harris, Georgia, Jill Stephens of Sparr, Florida, Amy Reiss and her husband Jeffrey A. Reiss of Ellicott City, Maryland and Jo Towns and her husband P. Wesley Towns Jr. of Cary, North Carolina; in addition to her 11 grandchildren – Christopher Findley and his wife Laura of Ocala, FL; Jeremy Beachel and his wife Miranda of Marion, Arkansas; Jason Beachel of Paducah, KY; Raymond and Robert Marshall of Paducah, KY; Corey Porter and her husband Mike of Hoboken, NJ; Abigail Cannon of Culver City, CA; Casey Stephens and his wife Lauriel of Laramie, WY; Emily Reiss of Alexandria, VA; Justin Reiss of State College, Pa; and Phillip W. Towns III of Cary, NC; and two great grandchildren Christopher Findley Jr. of Ocala, FL and Ethan Findley of Gainesville, Fl.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to Heifer International or the Sparr United Methodist Church. The Bradbury Family wishes to extend our sincere thanks to those who loved and cared for Carol.
Arrangements have been entrusted with Baldwin Brothers Heritage Place Chapel, 954 E. Silver Springs Blvd, Suite 200, Ocala, Florida. Online Condolences as well as fond memories may be left for the Bradbury family by visiting www.BaldwinCremation.com
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