Big Ben Bradley R.I.P

[Banks]

Former Tiger Stand Out and Booster Club President Ben Bradley passed away Sunday morning. Ben will be missed

[Indiana95]

Former Tiger Stand Out and Booster Club President Ben Bradley passed away Sunday morning. Ben will be missed

WHAT?? Was he sick? Oh my God, I'm gonna miss the big fellow! Please, someone with details, please post..

[obiefan]

Thoughts and prayers to his family and friends!

[Marie]

Ben was a wonderful man. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

[Banks]

WHAT?? Was he sick? Oh my God, I'm gonna miss the big fellow! Please, someone with details, please post..

Ben had been in hospital off and on for at least the past few weeks, I believe it was complications of Diabetes.

[MTigers006]

I am speechless for once and dont know what to say execpt my thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. How tragic a loss this is. God Bless.

[Indiana95]

Ben had been in hospital off and on for at least the past few weeks, I believe it was complications of Diabetes.

Thanks Banks. He's had a tough time with diabetes for years. I am sick to hear this news. The Prime Minister will be missed by many!

RIP Big Ben.....

[boosterette]

I am in shock about Ben. Not only was he past president of Booster Club, but he was this season's (2008) Touchdown Club President. He will be missed.

My sympathy to Ben's family and friends. God Bless You, Ben.

[gotigers1]

Just got back from Vacation and just read this. My heart, thoughts and prayers to Ben's family. I know I will miss him.

[MTigers006]

This man was an Ambassador of Tiger Football. I know a guy who knew Mr. Bradley and he said he was a give the shirt off his back kind of man. I still cant believe this and that someone so awsome with so much to offer could be taken at such a young age. Again my best and prayers go out to everyone that knew or was related to this magnificent man.

[obie7661]

So very sad. My heartfelt sympathies to the Bradley family.

[DAWGH8R]

May God's hands comfort the Bradley family................May Ben RIP with the rest of the Tiger GREATS !!

http://www.letsrejoice.com/prayers.jpg

[Mass6]

Terrible news!!! I played football with both Jason and Raphael. Condolences to the entire family. Any news anyone gets on the calling hours/services will be greatly appreciated.

[Kamd50]

How very sad for everyone; the Tiger Nation, his many friends, and his dear family. May God bless them and help them get through this difficult time.

[Sig Olenzak]

It is a sad day indeed. Big Ben was as large of influence on local charitable organizations as he was a man. I enjoyed working with Ben during his, and my, time as President of the Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club. A thought I can’t get out of my mind is an image of Ben running through a Final Hoop. It just fits who he was…..

…..I will miss him.

[Vicke]

I heard about his passing after church on yesterday. A very reliable source stated his kidneys had failed. I didn't even know that he was ill.

I nice guy and a true Tiger.

[TigerLily]

This just saddens my heart. And, what a loss to his family and to the whole Massillon community.

Even though I was young, I can still remember watching him out of the football field and what a big, tough guy he was. And, talked about in our house as one of the Tiger greats. He was a lot of fun to watch.

(And, am I remembering correctly, he and his brother Charles played together and were they twins?)

My sympathy and prayers for comfort to his family and friends. He will be greatly missed.

When we look up -- we will think of you. http://fanart.lionking.org/Artists/Kossu/Untitled1yee666666666.s.jpg

http://www.massillontigers.com/statistics/1961/np_newark_61.htm

[sidelinewalker]

My sympathy goes out to all of Ben's family and friends. I graduated with Ben, and he was a great friend of mine all thru our High school years,and I am sure glad he came back to Massillon, where we once again rekindled our friendship. Ben rode to most of the away football games with me,and I also had the opportunity to work with him on many booster club projects.I am so thankful that we got to spend this time together.I will never forget you!
Goodbye my friend,
May God welcome you into his kingdom,
Your friend,Ron

[Banks]

Pinched from the Indy

MASSILLON, OH —

Former Massillon Tiger football great Ben Bradley passed away on Sunday morning at Massillon Community Hospital. The former All-0hioan and All-American was 63.
Bradley was an All-Ohio center for the Tigers in 1962 under Leo Strang, and initially went on to the University of Dayton. However, he would leave Dayton to attend Northwood Institute College in Michigan, where he would develop into an NAIA district first-team offensive tackle.
His football career took him to the Canadian Football League, where he spent two seasons playing for the Montreal Alouettes.
After football, Bradley worked at General Motors, where he became one of the first black men to serve at the management level for the auto maker when he eventually rose to become General Supervisor of Inland GM in St. Louis. An infection which developed after a metal accident in the assembly plant forced him to take an early retirement in 1993, which eventually brought him back to his hometown.
Bradley returned to Massillon in 1996, and immediately went to work in the community. Among the community service positions he held were chairman of the board of directors of the Stark County Community Action Agency, president of the Massillon Parks and Recreation Board, secretary of the Civil Service Commission, member of the Mayor’s Drug Task Force and former president of the Athletic Advisory Council.
He also remained active in his alma mater’s football program. He was the 2006 president of the Massillon Tigers Football Booster Club, and ran the club’s team store at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium during games. He was also to have served as the president of the Massillon Tiger Touchdown Club this upcoming fall after having served as vice president last season.
Bradley is survived by his wife Doretta and children Jason, Brandie, Raphel Dodd, Jermine Blackmon and Donald Blackmon.
Paquelet Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. Those times are still pending.

[tiger51]

Man this is very sad...No doubt the entire family is in my thoughts....

[tig62]

I knew Ben during my high School days; off the field he was a gentle giant and a very nice guy who was a very good football player. My God's grace comfort his family and friends.

[PhotoObie]

Thoughts and prayers to the family. Ben was a dedicated and very caring person who will be missed by many.

[monte81]

A good person psted away and I send my thoughts and prayers to the Bradley family.

[TigerCoach]

Now's not the right time, but somebody should ask why he doesn't have a picture up in the hall at WHS since he played 2 years of professional football in Canada. I always thought that was the criteria?

Big Ben was a true Tiger, and the town will miss him

[MTigers006]

Now's not the right time, but somebody should ask why he doesn't have a picture up in the hall at WHS since he played 2 years of professional football in Canada. I always thought that was the criteria?

Big Ben was a true Tiger, and the town will miss him

People should demand he be inducted. Its just a shame they cant do this is the living years.

[chap]

Very nice man! he will be sadly missed by many.

[PhotoObie]

This is a picture of Ben from September 2006 when the 1961 State & National Championship Tiger team was honored before the St. Ignatius game.

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q139/dodge001/09-29-06EDIT.jpg

[The Butler]

From today's Inde:

A Celebration of Ben's Life will be 11 A.M. Saturday at Friendship Baptist Church; Rev. Reginald Hye will lead the service. His final resting place will be Massillon Cemetery. The Lions Club will have services Friday at 5:30 P.M. Friends may call Friday from 6-8 PM at the Paquelet Funeral Home in Massillon and one hour before the service on Saturday at the church. Condolences can shared with the family at either PO Box #213, Massillon, OH 44648 or at www.paquelet.com.

[mmauthor]

I think it's great that Ben's service is at Friendship Baptist Church. That church played a big part in Ben's upbringing in Massillon. Ben set his goal to be the first African American to be President of the Booster Club when he returned to Massillon. I'm thankful that he lived to achieve that goal. It's also interesting to note that Big Ben was Steve Studer's idol.

[mmauthor]

Maybe I should have used a direct quote from Ben when I referred to his pride in being the first African American to be president of the Booster Club. “There’s never been a black president. I like being a pioneer." He was very proud of his accomplishment, and so am I. I find nothing wrong with someone being proud of their race and their accomplishments as a representative of that race.

I'd also like to add a quote from Steve Studer about Ben:

"I remember it was Ben Bradley who was the center for Massillon. I was a little kid. I think all the other kids would remember the Billy Blunts, and the running backs and the quarterback and those kids. But I singled out Ben Bradley. He was my hero. I'll never forget, I'd go to the games with my dad and he had this old pair of binoculars that he gave me and I'd sit up there and focus in on Ben Bradley the whole game, wherever he went, I'd follow him. He'd be in the huddle and I'd try to read his lips and I'd watch and I'd watch him break out of the huddle and come out onto the line and I'd just watch him play. As a little kid, I was probably in the fourth or fifth grade, I remember telling my dad that I want to play center for the Massillon Tigers someday because of Ben Bradley. He was my idol."

[fat cat]

Big Ben was a true tiger and a great roll model for our community. I always thought of him as the big brother to the tiger program. for many of the young men that have played sports in our city Ben was the only positive male influence in there lives. he was a very nice man & he will be missed by all.

thank you Ben, for all you have done. god bless you & your family.

[boosterette]

I was just looking over this site again and want to thank PhotoObie for the picture of Ben. It made me cry to see him standing there.

I was president of the Touchdown Club for 2007, and Ben told me before I handed the presidency over to him for 2008 that I should be proud of the fact that I was the first female president of the club. He said he was proud of being the first African American of the Booster Club and that he would be the first of the Touchdown Club and told me to remember that moment always.

Big Ben Bradley will be truly missed in Massillon.

[The Butler]

Here's an item from todays Rep. It's short, so I copied it all. Link for reference.

*****************
The football career of former Massillon Tiger Ben Bradley will be commemorated in a lobby display at the Massillon Museum, 121 Lincoln Way E. The showing is scheduled to start 6 p.m. Aug. 20, following a pep rally.

The 6-foot-2, 270-pound 1963 Washington High School graduate lettered in football, wrestling and track. He was selected to the Scholastic Coach Magazine All-America high school first team as well as all-state and all-county. He graduated from Northwood College and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs but instead played two seasons for the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League. Bradley died in June.

Ice cream will be served at the event, which is free to attend. Museum hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=425608&Category=17&subCategoryID=0

[warren1st]

Sounds like Mr. Bradley was one fine guy!

Does anyone know if Haze McKey and Terry Snyder from the '58 and '59 teams are still living?

[TigerCarl]

Warren 1st -- Ben and his brother, Oscar, were both fine young men to know. I knew them briefly back in the 1950s when they both attended Jones J.H. in Massillon. Once, back in 1955 or 1956, when I was 12 or 13, I was at a small daytime dance party and they were both there. Happy-go-lucky fellows they were. They treated me great, even though I was some white kid they'd never even met before. Just good people, they were.

I also played football against those two in Junior High--they at Jones, and I at Lorin Andrews. I never ran with them, I just knew them to see them. But those are happy memories because we all were so young then. And now the old gang is passing on.

Ben was "Mister Bradley" on that 1962 squad. He could've played just about any position on Massillon.

If you played against him in football, you worried a lot about where he was going and what he was going to do when he got there. If you saw him on the street, he made you feel warm and worthy. Wonderful qualities.

Ben -- I, like many, took you for granted, thinking you'd be around a while longer. I'm glad I at least touched base with you a few times way back when. You were one of the human plus-signs along the way. I want you to know that. You had a positive influence on more people than you ever realized.

See you a little later on, Ben. We'll get to know each other better next time.


TigerCarl

[Kamd50]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with all of us here at M.P., TigerCarl.
That was quite beautiful:angel: