Bradford McPhillamy Obituary

Bradford Craig McPhillamy

Jul 17, 1957 - Nov 15, 2023

Huron

Bradford Craig McPhillamy, 66, of Huron, died Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023, at home after recovering from lung surgery.

Born the middle of five siblings in Sandusky, he attended Sandusky public schools and graduated from Sandusky High School in 1975 where he gritted it out in wrestling and football. He struck out to attend college at Utah State University and University of Kentucky before taking "gap years" and later graduating from University of New Orleans in 1991.

Brad (AKA Buck, Scad, Wildman) had an adventurous, no-holds-barred spirit which was both envied and derided by his many friends and family. A lifelong bachelor and fiercely independent, he barreled through life undaunted by rules and decorum, but was generous and kind to those he held dear.

While living in New Orleans with men of like character, Brad worked in administration and offshore pipeline construction in the oil industry for many fun-loving years. Eventually, compensation for injuries suffered from a near-fatal work accident aboard a barge in the Gulf of Mexico furnished the impetus for him to complete college at University of New Orleans. With a Marketing degree in hand and his customary dogged persistence, he soon landed a position in sales with the 3M Corporation. He relocated back to the Midwest where he enjoyed calling on customers in auto body and occupational safety businesses until the cumulative effects of his earlier injuries overtook him.

After settling in Huron, Brad's passion became perch fishing and keeping his 26-foot Stamas in prime condition. His friends and family were infinitely grateful that his manic search for perch usually ended with him frying up a batch to feed them.

Brad is survived by his sisters, Elizabeth (John) Kurzava of Monterey, California, and Molly (Scott) Perry of Sonora, California; brother, Brian McPhillamy of Sandusky; and four nieces, Meghan Stidham, Rachael Contreras, Grace Jackson, and Lucy Kendall, and nephew, Jack Kurzava, who knew him as Uncle Buck who upstaged the movie character with the same name time and time again.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Edward Albert and Judith Anne (Dorsch) McPhillamy; and sister, Melissa Hite.

Brad's family welcomes his friends and supporters to join in celebrating his life and his legend from 2-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at Berardi's Family Kitchen (Bella Rosa Room), 1019 W. Perkins Ave., Sandusky.