Obituary of Marion Ertel Bradford

Marion Ertel Bradford of Farmington, CT and Brewster, MA, passed away Tuesday, July 18th at the age of 89. She was the daughter of Captain Harold Ertel and Gertrude Wing Ertel of Westfield, MA.

She leaves two daughters: Susan Holt and Jane Holt and her husband Paul Puzycki. She also leaves four granddaughters: Sarah Brown, Lucy Brown-Meucci and her husband Joseph, Morgan McCarthy and her husband Michael and Erin Dudley who brought her much joy. She was predeceased by her son John Wing Holt, sister Jane Cheney, brother Robert Ertel and husbands George Brooks and William Bradford. Marion was also blessed with devoted friends Cindy and George Szuki who she considered family.

Marion was raised in Westfield, MA where she graduated from Westfield High School and went on to receive her degree from Westbrook College in Portland, ME. After an early career in real estate, Marion found her calling at the UConn Health Center in Farmington setting up interviews for the incoming house staff for the Department of Medicine. Once accepted into the program, Marion became "Mom" to them all, assisting them with everything from finding housing to recommending babysitters.

Throughout her life Marion always had a creative project going. She made clothes for her daughters, beautiful quilts and braided rugs. In her later years, she spent happy summers at her home on Cape Cod learning to make Nantucket Lightship baskets of which she made over 90.

A celebration of Marion's life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Marion's name can be made to the National Foundation for Cancer Research or the Alzheimer's Association.