Nancy Smith Bradshaw, born Aug. 22, 1923, in Richmond, Va., passed away peacefully surrounded by her children on Oct. 4, 2010.
Mrs. Bradshaw was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, A.B. Smith Jr. and Robert Q. Smith; her son, Adolphus Gilliam (Butch) Bradshaw III; and her husband of 62 ½ years, Adolphus Gilliam (A.G.) Bradshaw II.
Mrs. Bradshaw moved to James City County at the age of four and to her home in Norge, Va., at the age of 10. She graduated from Toano High School in 1940, received a B.A. from Madison College in 1944, and her Masters of Education from the College of William and Mary in 1967. She taught at Courtland High School, Toano High School and finally with the Williamsburg-James City County Public School System until her retirement in 1988.
Mrs. Bradshaw was an active member of Olive Branch Christian Church for 75 years. At Olive Branch she served as Department Chairman, Sunday School Teacher, and Elder and was a beloved member of the CWF and of the choir until her death. As a token of this dedication, she was recognized at the 2010 CWF Quadrennial Assembly in Blackstone, Va., as an Honored Church Educator.
Following her retirement from the WJCC school system, Mrs. Bradshaw co-authored Velkommen til Norge, A Pictorial History of Norge, Virginia with Frances Hamilton; as well as editing the book Tales from Oral Histories of James City County. Mrs. Bradshaw also continued to be active in the community, volunteering with the James City County Fair Committee, James City County Historical Commission, the Libraries at Norge Elementary School and Lafayette High School, and at Child Development Resources. In 2004, she was appointed by the Governor of Virginia to serve on the Board of Trustees of the Chippokes Plantation Farm Foundation.
Mrs. Bradshaw spent many years traveling the world making new friends. In her travels, she visited England, the Middle East, China, Indonesia and many points in between.
Mrs. Bradshaw is survived by her children, M. Anderson Bradshaw and wife, Ann, Richard W. Bradshaw, Lawrence S. Bradshaw, Nancy Bradshaw Sheppard and husband, Chuck, Philip E. Bradshaw and wife, Melanie, and Russell R. Bradshaw and wife, Linda. She is also survived by seven loving grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Memorial Trust Fund of Olive Branch Christian Church, P.O. Box 190, Norge, VA 23127 or the charity of your choice.