IN MEMORIAM
Bradley Goodyear Smith, 78;
Cooperstown Philanthropist
COOPERSTOWN – Bradley Goodyear Smith, a native of Mobile and resident of Fairhope, Ala., passed away Aug. 13, 2020, at Cary Mede, the family’s summer home, near Cooperstown. Surrounded by her loving family, she succumbed with remarkable grace after a brave battle with progressive supranuclear palsy.
Bradley was born June 16, 1942, in Mobile, where she was raised. Bradley was known for her kindness, humor, strength and Southern charm. She was well-read, of strong faith, and managed many responsibilities with a calm, capable resolve. She focused her attention with painstaking precision on any problem, large or small.
As a hostess, Bradley was impeccably gracious, with an instinctive gift for making her guests feel comfortable. She had an impish twinkle in her eye and loved to giggle.
Bradley served for 50 years as chair of the Monte Moorer Foundation in Mobile. She also sat on many other charitable boards, both in Alabama and Cooperstown, where she was a local icon and philanthropist.
Honored by the City of Mobile as Queen of Mardi Gras in 1962, she was a radiant “queen mother” when each of her daughters also reigned.
She graduated from Spring Hill College in 1963 with a degree in English. Bradley equally loved Mobile Bay and Otsego Lake, where she could be seen piloting her beloved boats with gleeful expertise. A lifelong tennis enthusiast, she loved to watch her grandchildren excel at the game she so loved. Later in life she took up the game of croquet. A fierce competitor, she played to win, but did so with her signature charm.
Bradley was predeceased by her husband of 53 years, T. Gunter Smith; her parents, the former Susan Anne Robinson of Mobile and Bradley Goodyear Jr. of Buffalo; and her sister, Susanne Robinson Gwynn.
She is survived by daughters Jeanette Goodyear Weldon (William) of Cooperstown, and Susanne Smith McAvoy (Matthew) of Darien, Conn., and five grandchildren on whom she doted: William James Weldon IV, Bradley Goodyear Weldon, K. Gunter Weldon, Christian Gallagher McAvoy and John (Jack) Goodyear McAvoy. She also is survived by brothers Lee Robinson (Maria) Gwynn and Richard Lee Bacon and by her uncle T. Lee Robinson.
A celebration of Bradley’s joy-filled life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the Mobile Carnival Association, P.O. Box 2121, Mobile, AL, 36652, or to Otsego 2000 c/o the Bradley Smith Fund, 101 Main Street, Cooperstown, NY, 13326.
A more charming, beautiful & gracious lady never was. What a gal!
Lived her deeply. Worked for her and with her for over 8 years. Will miss her very much.
RIP Bradley.
Bradley was one of the sweetest ladies I ever met. I will miss sipping a single malt scotch with her on the porch. She was always smiling, fun to talk to, always soft spoken, witty and tough.
I will miss you.
Grand will always hold a special place in my heart ❤️. Till the end she loved watching her grandchildren and Maggie play tennis. We will miss her coming to their tournaments. A women who prayed for many and believed anything was possible.
❤️🎾Mary-Margaret 🎾❤️
God Bless Bradley! She was a walking miracle, one of the loveliest people I’ve ever known. My deepest condolences to her daughters, Jeanette and Susanne. Their mother left a legacy of love, laughter and kindness, to all. She had a real sense of purpose in her faith,and everyone she met was touched by her grace, humor and generosity of heart.
I met Bradley Smith only once, at a croquet tournament in Southhampton New York – the first tournament for both of us. When it came to the coin toss to determine who went first she remarked as she didn’t have a coin on her – I did, we played and I won by a little bit. We also played doubles and had a smashing good time. Bradley made it into the finals while I did not, but I loaned her a quarter so she would have something to toss. She won the final and as the wonderful soul she was attributed much of the success to “her lucky quarter”. I am sure she is running a fine break in heaven…