James Vincent Bradley

James Vincent Bradley, 81, of The Villages, Florida, died Thursday, August 20, 2026, at UF Health Spanish Plaines Hospital, after a long illness, at peace and surrounded by his family. Born in Troy, New York, in 1945 to Frank and Eleanor Bradley, James earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Maryknoll Seminary in 1967 and a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from the State University of New York at Albany in 1973. In October 1967 he enlisted in the United States Army and trained as an intelligence analyst. He served in Vietnam with the 1st Infantry Division, spending 10 months in the field with the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry. He was gravely wounded by a rocket-propelled grenade and evacuated to Japan, where he spent two months recovering before returning to his battalion. The remainder of his enlistment took him to West Germany, where he served with the 207th Military Intelligence Detachment and the 66th Military Intelligence Group. He was honorably discharged in October 1970 with the rank of Specialist 5. James’ decorations included the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and two overseas service bars. He married Sharon Mosher on December 30, 1972, in Beacon, New York. They were married for 53 years, and he counted her fortitude and faithfulness the great gift of his life. He was a rehabilitation counselor for the State of New York and later a vocational rehabilitation counselor at Daytop Village, retiring in 2012 after a 40-year career. In retirement, he volunteered with Disabled American Veterans, Combat Veterans to Careers, and Big Brothers Big Sisters. James was proud to be a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus with Our Lady of Mount Carmel Council 13300. James also belonged to Chapter 795 of the Military Order of the Purple Heart and Chapter 1036 of Vietnam Veterans of America. He was an avid reader and had a lasting interest in history. He traced his own genealogy and Irish heritage. He enjoyed card nights with friends and neighbors, and he was a diehard fan of the New York Giants and never missed a game. James is survived by his beloved wife, Sharon, of The Villages, FL; his sons, Ryan, of San Francisco, CA, and Sean, of Rockville, MD; his grandson, Benjamin; and his brothers, Francis, of Ballston Spa, NY, and Gerard, of Saratoga Springs, NY. He will be remembered as a warm, thoughtful man who met life’s many challenges with humor and grace. A funeral service will be held Friday, August 28, 2026, at 10 a.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Wildwood, Florida. Burial with full military honors at Saratoga National Cemetery, Schuylerville, New York, will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Combat Veterans to Careers (combatveteranstocareers.org), or to Disabled American Veterans (dav.org)

James Vincent Bradley

July 24, 2026 - August 20, 2026