Obituary of Paul Brady

Paul Leon Brady was a beloved friend, sibling, husband, father, and grandfather. He was passionate about his family, babies and little children, animals, and cars. When friends talked about Paul three things rose to the surface: 1) his love of family, 2) his great smile, and 3) his love of God and his peaceful soul that projected his love of Jesus. One friend specifically talked about a time when his brother Jerry broke both of his arms at one time. Even though this incident happened when Paul was in his early school years, it made such an impact on his friend. He said he wanted to thank Paul for being a best friend to his brother and helping him in all his needs while at school and anywhere else...a true friend indeed!

Paul was born on May 12, 1942 to Jearl Leon Brady and Kathryn Mae (Simpson) Brady in Buckhannon, West Virginia. He grew up in Ridgecrest, California with his four siblings: Karen, Dottie, David, and Terry. After graduating from Sherman E. Burroughs High School, Paul moved to the Portland, Oregon area where he began to build his life.

To say that Paul loved cars and trucks was an understatement. He was always tinkering, trading, or playing with them. He even collected model cars. The only thing greater than cars was combining his love of cars and his love of family. He was always trying to find those special deals for his kids and grand kids...often getting them the best car around (or the best mechanical deals) for the best price. In addition to spending most of his career in the automotive industry, he also loved to fix and show vehicles and spent a bit of time racing cars. His childhood friend, Bob Waddill said they went to the drags at Inyokern almost every Saturday. He spent his final years of work—almost 20 years—managing Ed’s Mufflers and Brakes. During this time, he made a lot of friends that remained a significant part of his life.

While working at Ed’s Mufflers, Paul met Judy Reynolds at an automotive repair shop that often partnered with Ed’s. After several years of knowing her through work, then several months of dating, things got “serious.” So, on his birthday in 1994, Paul and Judy married. (She always said they chose that day so he would never forget his anniversary.) Along with getting a wife, Paul also got 3 kids and 3 grandsons on that day. Paul and Judy’s homes were always filled with love, laughter, and lots of family.

Paul and Judy were always taking “adventures” as he would call them. Their favorite place was the Oregon Coast. On their trips, they would often wander down random roads just to see where they went. They would stop at little eateries to try the local cuisine and at local antique stores to buy that souvenir they could not live without.

Paul retired around 2005 and moved to Grand Ronde – a small community about 25 miles from the Oregon Coast. Paul and Judy bought a 5-acre piece of land with manufactured home which allowed them to enjoy the great outdoors and the many animals that ventured onto their property (including numerous cats and lots of deer that would come up and eat apples and crackers not far from their back deck). He had enough property to putter around and ride on his Husqvarna Riding Lawn Mower. For several years, Paul and Judy were “poppa and grandma” to the neighbor boy Mason – watching him from the time he was an infant through taking him to the stop to catch the bus to school.

On September 14, 2021 after a short battle with stage 4 liver cancer—10 weeks exactly from diagnosis to death, Paul stepped peacefully into Heaven surrounded by the love of his friends and family. He left behind his loving wife, Judy, and 3 children—Debbie Ellis, Randy Reynolds, and Katherine Gorretta (Tim Overton). He also left great memories with 3 grandsons and 8 great grandchildren: Matthew and Elizabeth Ellis (Avery, Finley, Oliver, and Ezekiel), Anthony Gorretta (Ellee Mae), and Vincent and Kailee Gorretta (Alora, Liam, and Luca). He was survived by two siblings—David Brady (Cindy) and Karen Shivers and multiple nephews and nieces and great nephews and nieces.

Paul was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife Charlene, her two children (Kevin and Patty) and one granddaughter; his brother Terry Brady and his sister Dottie (Brady) Coughran and her husband Pat. The memorial service to celebrate Paul’s life is being held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, October 30, at the Sheridan Baptist Church, 643 E Main St, Sheridan, OR 97378.