Bradley Campbell Stratton was born March 3, 1943, at St. John’s Hospital in Helena, Montana, to Carl Parker Stratton and Virginia (Campbell) Stratton.
Brad was two years old when his father, Carl, passed away suddenly, leaving his mother to support Brad and his older brother, Alan, on her own. Brad made good use of his many unsupervised childhood hours, teaching himself to hunt and fish, and developing his lifelong love of the outdoors. His fondest childhood memories were of time spent at the family cabin outside of Lincoln, MT.
Brad attended grade school at Helena's Deaconess School and graduated from Helena Senior High School in 1961. Showing an early gift for leadership, Brad was active in student government and Rotary Club, and was chosen to attend Boys State during his junior year. Following graduation, Brad moved to Bozeman to attend Montana State University, where he found brotherhood—and lifelong friends—in the SAE fraternity. A dedicated student, Brad studied history and economics, earning high marks except during the fall of his sophomore year, which he famously described as “the semester I learned to drink beer.”
Brad graduated from MSU in 1966 and enlisted in the US Navy. He was accepted into Naval Officer Candidate School and was commissioned onto Spruance-Class destroyer USS O’Bannon in April 1967. Recounting his years in the navy always brought a smile to his face. He had colorful stories of his time at sea, including a multi-ship drag race in the Western Pacific and a tale of passing an unfriendly ship at close enough range to give the sailors on deck a one-fingered salute.
Civilian life brought Brad to Denver in 1970, where he accepted, fatefully, a job in the marketing department of Safeco Insurance. It was here that Brad fell for “the looker in the short skirt," Virginia (Jinny) Patton, who had just been promoted from the typing pool. They went on their first date in November of 1971 and five weeks later Brad asked Jinny if she “wouldn’t consider marrying him” while they waited together in line for the bathroom at a New Year’s Eve party. They were married in March of 1972—just five months after their first date—and until his final days they held hands and looked at each other like newlyweds.
Brad and Jinny spent their honeymoon job-hunting across Montana and Wyoming. Their search led them to Bozeman, where Brad accepted a position in the escrow department at American Land Title Company. Brad stayed at ALTC for the rest of his long career, buying out the partners with Jinny in 1984. Work was one of Brad's great passions. He found the history of property title searches fascinating, thrived in community outreach and networking, and enjoyed the camaraderie of the ALTC employees, many of whom he mentored and all of whom he and Jinny considered family. Brad and Jinny sold the business in 2023, 51 years—to the day—after Brad started at the company.
Family was central to Brad’s life. He and Jinny had four children: Marie, born in 1973, Molly, born in 1975, Jonathan, born in 1978, and Daniel, born in 1979. Raising the kids and supporting their education and hobbies was both a priority and a joy. Brad shared his love of the outdoors with all of his children, along with—much to Jinny’s dismay—his love of cars. As a family, the Strattons shared many adventures, from fishing the rivers and camping in the mountains of Montana to visiting natural, cultural, and historic landmarks all over the country. Until recently, Brad and Jinny made annual pilgrimages to New York City to enjoy Broadway’s latest hits, but the family found some of their purest moments of happiness close to home, playing cards together at their beloved cabin in Gallatin Canyon.
Giving back was important to Brad and he was generous with his time and resources. Brad was a founding member and president of the Worthy Student Scholarship Fund, served actively in the Noon Chapter of the Rotary Club, supported Junior Achievement, and gave to countless civic causes–among them, the Gallatin Valley Food Bank, Eagle Mount, Museum of the Rockies, Gallatin Valley Land Trust, Bobcat Booster, Hawk Booster, and the Bozeman Schools Foundation. Brad was a voracious reader—especially mysteries and crime fiction—and was a loyal patron of the local bookstore and a dedicated donor to the Bozeman Public Library.
Brad had a lifelong passion for cars, buying his first wheels when he was just fourteen. Through his adult years, he restored a collection of vintage British sports cars, which he enjoyed driving Montana’s backroads to discover small-town restaurants and cowboy bars. The pleasure of these outings nearly matched the joy that came from sharing his collection of convertibles with his kids. Nothing pleased Brad more than seeing his children return home from their own automotive tours with smiles on their faces.
In a school assignment called “The Story of my Life,” Brad wrote “I started out in a small way, 5lb. 2oz.” But Brad was not destined for small things. He lived large and loved big, and will be remembered as a bon vivant with a quick wit, a boundless repertoire of clever idioms, and deep loyalty to his friends and family.
Brad is survived by his wife, Jinny, children, Marie (Trever) McSpadden, Molly, Daniel, foster son Chris Angel, grandchildren Lilly & Charlie McSpadden, Tyler & Samantha Angel, brother Alan (Julie), brother-in-law Bill (Kathy) Patton, Jack (Debbie) Patton, JT Patton, and numerous nieces, nephews, and grand-dogs. He was preceded in death by his parents, infant son Jonathan Bradley, sister-in-law Susan Fletcher, brother-in-law George Fletcher, and best friend of 50 years, J. Robert Planalp.
Please join the family for a brief memorial followed by a reception celebrating Brad’s life on Friday, November 15th at the Story Mansion (the former SAE house) from 3-6 pm. Please wear your party clothes – as Bob from Hartman-Mockel once said, Brad was “not afraid of color.” In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to a cause close to your heart.
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com [dokkennelson.com]
