Leigh Ann Bradley
Dr. Leigh Ann Bradley passed away on August 7, 2020 in Houston, Texas after a 6 month treatment at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Born to Neal Owen and Dorothy Ann (Crutchfield) Terry on March 4, 1957 in Lee County, AL, she spent her formative years in Pensacola, FL and Greenwood, SC. She graduated from Parkway West High School in Ballwin, MO. She then attended the University of Missouri at Rolla and the University of Houston, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. She met R. Tim Bradley while attending college at Rolla; they were married for 14 years.
Upon graduating, Leigh Ann worked for Royal Dutch Shell Oil Company. Soon after having children, she switched careers, offering individual and group psychotherapy after obtaining a Master’s degree in Psychology and a PhD in Counselor Education. While working as a psychotherapist, she obtained Associate’s and Master’s degrees in nursing, and over time transitioned into leadership and coaching roles in the healthcare industry.
Leigh Ann is preceded in death by her father, Neal Owen Terry. She is survived by her triplet children: Michael Timothy Bradley (Cassandra), David Neal Bradley, and Anne Elise Bradley (Jim), as well as her mother, Dorothy Terry; sister, Susan Elise (Terry) Pareigis; and brother, Neal Owen Terry, Jr. She gave each of her children individualized attention throughout their lives, encouraging their varied interests, as well as emphasizing the importance of education. She also passed down to them the values of respect, decency, and compassion toward others.
Leigh Ann was truly an angel among us, sharing her vast knowledge and compassion with each person within her very large group of friends and family. She exuded warmth and kindness, as she never met a stranger and easily made friends with those in her path. Leigh Ann was courageous and optimistic, often turning getting lost into an opportunity to have an “adventure.”
She also found meaning in difficult circumstances. Without having ever visited, Leigh Ann moved to Los Angeles to start a new chapter in her life after losing her home in Hurricane Katrina. In her later years, she resided in Santa Cruz, CA; Memphis, TN; her adopted home of Santa Barbara, CA; and in her childhood hometown of Pensacola, FL. Leigh Ann often traveled to consult on improvements to patient experience in our nation’s healthcare system, and to visit her children in Ann Arbor, MI; Austin, TX; and Washington, D.C.
She left lasting impressions on everyone she met. When meeting her, people felt cherished and appreciated, as they were, in fact, unique and special to her.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to support the research of Leigh Ann’s trusted oncologist, or that family and friends honor her memory by practicing generosity and acts of kindness toward others. Contributions may be sent to MD Anderson Cancer Center, Dr. Carl Gay’s Lung Cancer Research, P.O. Box 4486, Houston, TX 77210-4486. Online contributions may be made at mdanderson.org/gifts, then click “Give Now.” On the next page, please select “Give In Memory Of,” enter “Leigh Ann Bradley,” check “I’d Like to Choose Where My Donation Will Go,” and select “Fund Designated by Family.”