Whitesell-Somers Family Web Project - Person Sheet
Whitesell-Somers Family Web Project - Person Sheet
Obituary Online notes for Ronald Lee BRAFFORD
Father, husband, son, brother....
What can I say about my dad.... he was a fun, loving person with big plans. He loved kids and coached many little league teams in Burlington/Graham for years. I was a cheerleader for the CWA Football team he coached.
He loved the outdoors, boating, fishing, golf and playing with his girls.
We worked at Western Electric right out of high school till he passed. I am proud he was involved in top secret missile work during the Cuban Missile Crisis years. We were to move to Kwajalein for his work just before he found out he was sick.
He and mom wanted to get married- he was 17 she was 15. They took a road trip to Dillon, SC only to learn they couldn't get married without a signature. They drove all the way back home for both sets of parents to sign. They knew they would get married one way or another. Back to Dillon they went- high school sweethearts married young and separated young.
My dad passed of brain cancer at the age of 34 leaving mom with 2 small girls to raise. There was no Hospice then, mom quit her job to stay home and take care of dad. It was a blessing the cancer took him quickly (Feb to Oct). Seeing him in pain daily and watching mom do everything she could to make him comfortable was hard for a 10 and 6 year old. But we learned that love has no boundaries- they took their vows seriously and she was with him till his last breath.
He will never be forgotten- he was a good man- lost too soon. 470
What can I say about my dad.... he was a fun, loving person with big plans. He loved kids and coached many little league teams in Burlington/Graham for years. I was a cheerleader for the CWA Football team he coached.
He loved the outdoors, boating, fishing, golf and playing with his girls.
We worked at Western Electric right out of high school till he passed. I am proud he was involved in top secret missile work during the Cuban Missile Crisis years. We were to move to Kwajalein for his work just before he found out he was sick.
He and mom wanted to get married- he was 17 she was 15. They took a road trip to Dillon, SC only to learn they couldn't get married without a signature. They drove all the way back home for both sets of parents to sign. They knew they would get married one way or another. Back to Dillon they went- high school sweethearts married young and separated young.
My dad passed of brain cancer at the age of 34 leaving mom with 2 small girls to raise. There was no Hospice then, mom quit her job to stay home and take care of dad. It was a blessing the cancer took him quickly (Feb to Oct). Seeing him in pain daily and watching mom do everything she could to make him comfortable was hard for a 10 and 6 year old. But we learned that love has no boundaries- they took their vows seriously and she was with him till his last breath.
He will never be forgotten- he was a good man- lost too soon. 470