Bradley Van Padon
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- Category: Obituaries
- Created on Wednesday, 07 August 2013 13:25
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Bradley Van Padon, 61, beloved father, grandfather, uncle, son, brother and friend, passed peacefully on July 27, 2013, with his cherished girls at his side.
A family member shared that the love that surrounded him was immensely comforting and brought much peace.
He had been medevacked to Anchorage and was in Providence Hospital at the time of his death.
Brad was born on March 29, 1952, in Klamath Falls, Ore., the son of Jess Padon and Juanita Jean Sheets.
He is survived by his loving daughters Tara and Bradelle, sons Earl and Zach, and seven grandchildren. His sisters are Tanya Padon, Alicia Amarel and Pamela Houston, and his brother is Dennis Houston.
Brad adored his family and got a big kick out of his grandchildren, who brought much joy and love to his heart – especially if they wanted to go fishing!
Although his life was cut short, he lived it to the fullest, savoring and cherishing every moment, sharing many stories with friends and family with deep conviction and laughter. His true loves were fishing and his kids (family). He was very proud of his four children’s accomplishments and would beam when he spoke of each and every one of them.
There are many memories to share and some of the most memorable were trips on the boat to White Sulphur Springs, standing on an iceberg with his brother in Icy Bay, taking his family and friends on picnics, berry picking, clam digging, hunting trips and many other activities that Alaska brought to his life.
He left California when he was 14 and moved to Alaska. In his younger days, he packed fish on the F/V Rosalene and shortly afterward purchased his first commercial troller. Many would say that Brad was one of the top fishermen in Southeast. He power trolled, long-lined, crabbed and shrimped. He also was self-employed with several business ventures at hand.
He lived in Pelican for many years before moving to Sitka.
Brad touched the lives of many and had a heart of gold; he helped many people and family members throughout the years.
His family said Brad loved to read, share stories, music (oldies, rock ’n’ roll and country), movies and laugh. His laughter was one of a kind and will be remembered by all who knew him.
The Padon family will have a celebration of their dad’s life in Sitka and/ or Pelican prior to the 2014 commercial troll season.
Pallbearers will be Earl Adams, Tara Padon, Bradelle Padon, Zachery Padon, Chaz Padon and Karen Gause.
Honorary pallbearers are Casey Phillips, William “Gig” Mork, Dennis Houston, Victo Stepanenko, William “Bill” Paddock, Tim Goodson and Nick Hatch.
In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to: Tara Padon, 6422 281st St. N.W., Stanwood, WA 98292
Thanks to the generosity and expertise of the the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska broadband department, Tidal Network ; Christopher Cropley, director of Tidal Network; and Luke Johnson, Tidal Network technician, SitkaSentinel.com is again being updated. Tidal Network has been working tirelessly to install Starlink satellite equipment for city and other critical institutions, including the Sentinel, following the sudden breakage of GCI's fiberoptic cable on August 29, which left most of Sitka without internet or phone connections. CCTHITA's public-spirited response to the emergency is inspiring.
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20 YEARS AGO
September 2004
Photo caption: Jan Nelson, a White Elephant shop volunteer, stands with George Rohrer as he tries out a new public address system installed in the shop. The equipment was bought using money donated to the White Elephant in memory of George’s wife, Violet, a longtime White E volunteer.
50 YEARS AGO
September 1974
Photo caption: A dahl sheep, a totem bookend and a fishing boy won awards for Sitkan Robert C. Turner at the International Wood Carvers Congress, in Davenport, Iowa. The three pieces also took first place at the Fur Rendezvous Handicraft Show earlier this year.