Obituary of Janet Grace Bradley

Janet Grace (Qualitza) Bradley was born February 18, 1936 in Indianapolis, Indiana to Julius and Leva Qualitza. She was preceded into the next life by husband of over 60 years - George, eldest son -Randal, Grandson - Joshua, and brother - Charles. She is survived by siblings - Myrna, Randal, and Steven, her three sons - Ronald, Mark, Jeffrey, and daughters-in-law - Regina and Carole. Janet also leaves behind five grandsons and five great grandchildren.

After graduating from St. Mary’s Academy in Indianapolis, Indiana, Janet lived in Brownsville, Texas. She met Rigoberta Ramirez, they were married in 1953 and Janet gave birth to two sons over the next couple of years, Randall and Ronald. Unfortunately, Randall’s time on this Earth was veryshort and he returned Home to be with Our Heavenly Father. When that marriage ended, Janet moved back to Indianapolis with son, Ronald, where they lived with her paternal grandfather.

While living again in Indianapolis, Janet was out with friends at the The Pole drive-in. It was there she met George Bradley. A relationship developed and they would spend more than sixty-three years together until his passing on June 20, 2022. Janet and George had two sons, Mark and Jeffrey. The family of five was very close and would share many joyous occasions, adventures, and celebrations over the years.

Janet enjoyed an active working life and was always busy keeping up with her three boys. Since George usually worked a second or third shift at Chevrolet, she was the one taking care of the household on a daily basis along with work. When the family moved to Lizton in late 1968, it really kept her busy. She was always taking a son to practices, music lessons, rehearsals, athletic games, etc. When grandsons arrived, she was always willing to take an active part in their lives as well. She may have been busy, but she would not have traded it for anything.

She worked many years at a small electronics firm, Noel-Smyser Engineering, where she was the secretary, managed inventory/supplies, and was in charge of payroll. After leaving Noel-Smyser, she took a little time off before starting her own business with Jafra Skincare and Cosmetics. Janet’s next adventure took her to Brownsburg High School. It was there that she worked as a Teacher’s Assistant for special need students. Her love of kids made it a perfect fit for her, where she helped students with homework and tests.

Being a singer herself, Janet always tried to give her three sons an appreciation of music. Often, the house was full of music fromsome of her favorite singers and musicians: Dean Martin, Perry Como, Elvis Presley, Paul Anka, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, etc. Janet even made a trip with some family members to Las Vegas to see Elvis as part of his “Comeback Tour”. While in Vegas, they took time to see Paul Anka’s show and Janet received the surprise of her life. Paul came down, had her stand up, and sang a song to her! Back in Indy years later, she and some family went to see Elvis Presley’s last performance at Market Square Arena on June 26, 1977.

In late 1994, Janet and George retired and built a home in Lady Lake, Florida. Janet wasted no time getting involved. Since she was very proud of her Italian heritage, she joined the Italian-American Club in The Villages. This involvement helped her fulfill a life long dream of traveling to Italy. Her love of travel had Janet making a couple of trips to Europe and taking cruises with friends.

Unknown to family and friends, Janet had another secret dream that she would finally realize! She became a clown. As usual, she didn’t do things half way, she put a lot of effort into perfecting her persona as a clown. Janet joined the local Clown Alley in the Villages and soon began experimenting with different looks and costumes. She read magazines, listened to advice from her fellow clowns, and even went to Clown Conventions. She learned to face paint, work with puppets, tell jokes, and even do simple magic tricks when performing in parades, senior centers, festivals, and community events.

Over the years, health issues began to arise for Janet and George, but this didn’t slow them down or waver their commitment. They lived their wedding vows to the fullest - supporting each other ‘in sickness and in health’ during several medical setbacks/challenges. As they aged, they realized the importance of family and built a second home in Pendleton. A new set of grandsons kept them pretty busy when back in Indiana. Spending time in both locations... they could play in Florida and be closer to family in Indiana.

Janet dedicated her entire life to family and friends and never wavered in her commitment to them. She will be missed by many and loved by all. God bless!