Diane N. Bradley

Diane Nadean (née Perry) Bradley of Columbia, Missouri, age 80, passed away on July 12, 2025, in St. Louis after a long illness. The immediate cause of death was heart failure.

Diane was born on November 8, 1944, in Nevada, Missouri to Nadean Adeline (née Smith) and James Ervel Perry and grew up in Rich Hill, Missouri. She graduated from Rich High School and Central Missouri State University with a degree in music education.

Diane had a difficult life. For decades, she suffered from nearly untreatable depression. At times, the disease was so consuming that it pushed out almost everything else. When the disease receded, she sold real estate, worked in a variety of odd jobs, and got to live the place that she loved most, the Florida Gulf Coast. She loved animals, nature, and was incredibly empathetic to the suffering of others.

Diane was very close to her parents and lived with them in Rich Hill at the end of their lives. During that time, she taught special education at Rich Hill Elementary.

She is survived by her two sons and their families: Colonel Matthew P. Bradley and his wife Lisa D. Bradley, Matt and Lisa’s children Bennet, Hayden, and Becket, Dr. D. Nathan Bradley and his wife Dr. Lyndsay B. Ball; her sister Carol and her husband Ron Johnson; and Diane’s ex-husband David D. Bradley.

Funeral Service will be held at 11 am, Saturday, July 19 at the Heuser Funeral Home.  Visitation will be from 10 am until service time.  Burial will follow at the Green Lawn Cemetery.