WILMINGTON — Our Mom and our “Tutti”, 94, passed away peacefully on March 3, 2025, in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Born on July 10, 1930, in South Bend, Indiana, Trudy dedicated her life to education and family. Trudy, the first in her family to attend college, graduated from Indiana University and began her career as a fourth-grade teacher in West Lafayette, IN while her husband pursued his studies at Purdue University after serving in the Air Force.
Later, while raising her children, she continued to share her passion for learning as an elementary school private tutor. At the age of 60, she embraced what became her most cherished professional role—Executive Director of the Clarke County Mentor Program in Athens, Georgia. In the 20 years she served in this capacity, she laid the groundwork for a program that is still in place, beginning with just one mentor and building up to 1000 volunteers that she both selected and trained, and then carefully paired them with students, ensuring meaningful and lasting connections that enriched many lives. Upon her retirement, they moved to be closer to family in North Carolina.
Trudy was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who found immense joy in nurturing those around her.
She is survived by her three children: Bridget (Max) Kipfer of Wilmington, NC; Tod (Penny) Bradley of The Woodlands, TX; and Megan (Steve) Bradley Willem, of Franklin, IN. As a grandmother, “Tutti” cherished her seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Charles C. “Poppy” Bradley Jr. in 2011, and her sister Eulala “Tiny” Walz in 2018.
A woman of many talents, she had boundless enthusiasm for relationships, learning and teaching, Trudy was an avid gardener who found peace in her garden and loved working in her yard. She was also a passionate reader and an exceptional cook who delighted in preparing special meals for those she loved, including homemade biscuits and gravy and Thanksgiving soup. Her creative energies shone in her quilting and sewing, and she was always open to having any conversation with anyone at any time. Above all else, she was fiercely loyal to her family and dedicated to fostering knowledge in others—making a difference through education was definitely her calling.
A private graveside service to honor her remarkable life will be held this summer at Southlawn Cemetery in South Bend, Indiana.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the Benson Epps Circle of Giving in support of the Clarke County Mentor Program (Clarke County Mentor Program, Inc. – Clarke County Mentor Program Donation Page). We know she would appreciate it!
Her legacy of love and learning will continue to inspire all who knew her. May her memory be eternal.
