Ramon F. Bradham
Ramon F. "Ray" Bradham of Trumansburg passed away at home on Sunday, June 14, 2026, at the age of 85. Ray was born in Storm Lake, Iowa, on January 18, 1941, the son of the late Roscoe and Beulah (Mark) Bradham.
As a boy, he was an avid Scout and, at age 16, traveled alone to the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, an adventure that reflected the independence and determination that would characterize his life. After earning a Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Ray joined the Army Corps of Engineers in 1964. During his military career, he served his country for 23 years, retiring in 1987 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Along the way, he earned a Master's degree while stationed in Rolla, Missouri, and served assignments that included Grafenwöhr, Germany.
On May 1, 1970, Ray met Diana on a blind date. Six weeks later, on June 12, they were married in El Paso, Texas. Their honeymoon was the first of many road trips they would enjoy together throughout their 49 years of marriage. Life as an Army family brought 13 moves in 15 years, taking them across the country and overseas. Wherever they lived, Ray and Diana formed lasting friendships and built a life centered on family, service, and adventure.
Following his retirement from the Army, Ray served as Director of Engineering for the Development Authority of the North Country in Watertown, New York. In 2004, Ray and Diana moved to Trumansburg to be closer to their daughter Amy and her growing family, where they enjoyed the next chapter of their lives together.
Ray created beautiful gardens wherever he lived. In Trumansburg, he spent hours outside tending to his lovely flowers and beautiful paths in his backyard. Ray was at his happiest while he was zipping around his lawn on his zero turn lawn mower or admiring the birds that flocked to his backyard to enjoy his beautiful bird feeders.
His family often joked that Ray had nine lives. In his twenties, he survived a bad fall in Ranger School when his belay device failed, and starting in 2001, he dealt with open heart surgery, a neck fusion, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, including many other maladies, and he miraculously kept right on going!
When Diana passed away in 2020, Ray picked up walking. At the age of 79, he trained for months for an epic walk. He walked the entire distance of the Black Diamond Trail both ways—16½ miles!
Ray loves his family and often spoke proudly about "my three daughters." After losing Diana in 2020, Ray and his daughters started a family group text where they would check in with each other every morning, a text thread that kept going for 6½ years and helped Ray deepen his relationship with his daughters.
Ray is survived by three daughters, Lisa (Brian) Pitts, Amy (Scott) Dawson, and Sarah Bradham (Adam Nawrot); four grandchildren, Elizabeth and Xander Dawson, and Cassidy and Kendra Pitts; and a brother, Robert Bradham. In addition to his parents, Ray was preceded in death by his wife, Diana Bradham, in 2020; and a brother, Richard Bradham.
The family extends a special thank you to Comfort Keepers, Classen Home Health, and to Hospicare for the excellent care they provided to Ray during his final few months. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages making a donation to the Ulysses Philomathic Library in Trumansburg in memory of Ray Bradham or to Project POOCH (pooch.org) in Portland, Oregon, a nonprofit that serves incarcerated youth and shelter dogs.
A celebration of Ray's life will be held at his home in Trumansburg, 119 Tamarack Lane, on Sunday, July 12, at 2:00 p.m. All who knew and loved Ray are welcome to attend. Those wishing to attend virtually may contact Amy Dawson at [email protected] for livestream information. If you plan to attend in person, an RSVP to the same email is appreciated to help us prepare for the gathering.
Photo Credit: Ray at the end of his Black Diamond hike - Spring 2020