Obituary of Dale Bradley

Mr. Dale Bradley, age 84 of Winchester, Tennessee passed away on Friday, June 30, 2023. Mr. Bradley was born on September 27, 1938 in Cottontown, Tennessee to the late Wayne and Willie Ella Bradley.

He is survived by his sons, Dale P. (Leslie) Bradley, Scott E. Bradley, Eric W. Bradley, and Ryan C. (Jammie) Bradley; grandchildren, Mary E. Bradley, Christopher A. Bradley, Sawyer G. Bradley, Kenneth W. Bradley, Phillip S. Bradley, Ariel Bradley, Ethan C. Bradley, Brittain N. Adamson, and Amber A. Oudin; nine great-grandchildren; step-mother, Jeanette Bradley; brother, Jerry (Betty) Bradley.

Dale was a devoted and loving father, grandfather, and great grandfather and faithful member of the Winchester Church of Christ. He spent many years in the Barbershop Quartet singing for different events. He truly enjoyed Bluegrass music and playing his banjo. He also spent many years coaching his son’s various sports and that carried on with his son’s coaching their children.  He always made time to be at all the grandchildren’s sporting events. He kept up with all his son’s and grandchildren’s activities and always supported them.  He especially loved watching his grandson Ethan playing baseball and his granddaughter Mary playing softball.  Even as his health declined, he continued to be at their games as much as he was able to.

He was the Technical Director for the 718^th Test Squadron, Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC).  AEDC is the world’s largest complex of ground aerospace flight simulation test facilities.  He was responsible for technical direction of the activities within the 718^th Test Squadron which included hypersonics, nuclear weapons, rocket testing, space simulation testing, and modeling and simulation efforts for the development of missile signature prediction codes, technical monitor for MDA signature code development projects.  He also represented AEDC as the Technical Representative to the Range Commanders Council. 

Dale began his federal service while attending the University of Maryland, as a summer student employee for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Navy in their Bureau of Aeronautics.  He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in aeronautical engineering in June 1961 and two weeks later was employed as an aerodynamic design engineer for the United States Navy at the David Taylor Model Basin (a ground test facility for Navy missile development).  He was a co-developer of a low aspect ratio missile aerodynamic predication code that was later adapted for the Army missile intelligence command for prediction of foreign missile aerodynamics.  In 1966 he left the Navy Department to become involved in the space program.  He took a position at the Chrysler Corporation Space Division.  His aerodynamic skills were tested on diverse programs from the Saturn V unsteady aerodynamics to improved handling qualities and drag reduction of the Dodge Dayton race car.  He then moved to Lockheed Missiles and Space Center, where his efforts included design and testing of Fly-back booster designs for the NASA Space Shuttle and the Improved Hawk Missile Airframe Development for the Army Missile Command.

He returned to federal service in 1975 to work for the Air Force at AEDC.  During his 33 years at AEDC he served as Chief for several organizations Aeronautical Systems Branch, Facility Planning Branch, Plans & Requirement Business Management Division, and Rockets Test Division.

A Graveside Service will be held on Friday, July 7^th at 2:30 PM at Restlawn Memory Gardens located at 6324 Nashville Rd., Franklin, Kentucky. There will be a visitation with the family prior to the service at Sellars Family Heritage at Portland on Friday, July 7^th from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests donations be made to the American Cancer Society at https://donate.cancer.org.

Arrangements by Sellars Family Heritage at Portland, 610 N. Broadway Street, Portland, TN 37148. (615)325-5010, obit line (615)325-9725. Online condolences can now be made at www.sellarsfh.com.