William Aiken Bradshaw III

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine,” Isaiah 43:1.

William (Bill) Aiken Bradshaw, III, 65, of Roswell, NM, peacefully passed away on Sunday, May 9, 2021, in Woodland Park, Colorado, where he had just realized his dream of completing his ministry studies at Charis Bible College.

Bill was born on February 19, 1956, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Dr. William A. Bradshaw, Jr. and Mrs. Joan S. Bradshaw, who both preceded him in death. He was the beloved husband of Kelly Bradshaw; loving father of Zach Bradshaw (Tiler) and Hannah Bradshaw; proud grandfather of Declan Bradshaw; cherished brother of Nancy (Kent) Foster, Jody (Lewis) Fisher; fun uncle to Will (Meg) Humphrey, Connie Humphrey, Liz Humphrey, Ryan Foster, Logan Foster, Carolyn Fisher, and Brendan Fisher, all of whom survive him, and his sister, Amy Humphrey, who preceded him in death.  

Bill was raised in Pittsburgh, PA. He inherited his love of coffee from his mom, his preference for ice cream from his father, and learned his fierce competitiveness from being the oldest with three younger sisters. After graduating from the College of Wooster in Ohio, he found himself back in the ‘Burgh working steel before landing a job in Hobbs, America, where he met his lifelong partner and wife of 38 years, Kelly Grogan Bradshaw. The two of them moved to Midland and Amarillo where he earned a master’s degree from West Texas State University. Bill and Kelly then settled in Roswell where they started and raised their family.

Bill had blue eyes, where his vibrant smile started, fingers that danced over the piano, and a quick wit that made lifelong friends out of strangers everywhere he went. He taught us to order pizza when mom was traveling and to start every interaction with acceptance and love. His love for his family was only surpassed by his deep love for God, which he shared at every opportunity.

Bill enjoyed spending his free time swimming competitively and in lakes, fishing and hiking with his family, road biking, carving a mountain while skiing, and challenging anyone around to a game of table tennis. These were all just excuses for spending time and laughing with his many dear friends. He was known for his generosity and treated everyone with the same respect.

Throughout his life, Bill was always involved in his community. Whether it was gathering food for mission trips, building homes for those without, or lending a helping hand to anyone he met, he always took the time to show God’s love to people. He set swim records as a member of the Shady Side Academy High School Swim team, was an active member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, the Roswell Geological Society, and was a former board member for Rivers of Life in Roswell, NM. No matter where he was or what he was doing, he had a positive impact on everyone around him.

Bill found time to be an incredible athlete, a visionary geologist, a terrible dancer, and a dedicated family man. He never shied away from an adventure and had a zest for learning. His life was not free of hardship, which he handled with humor, compassion, and with a little help from a fishing pole and a canoe. He leaves many friends behind to lovingly remember him and his loud, joyful laugh. He also leaves a legacy of caring for people and sharing the love of Jesus Christ with them.

A service will be held at 3:00 p.m. Thursday, May 20, 2021, at Christ’s Church in Roswell, 2200 N. Sycamore. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully suggests memorial contributions to the Huntington’s Disease Society of America, 505 8th Avenue, Suite 902, New York, NY 10018 (restricted for Research) or a charity of your choice. Most of all, Bill would appreciate an act of kindness to a stranger: be it a smile, a helping hand, a cup of coffee, and certainly some ice cream.

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