JAMES ALLEN BRADBURY
James Allen Bradbury, born December 21, 1944, passed away in the presence of his family on January 5th, 2025, after a battle with cancer. A longtime resident of Putnam County, Jim was born in Portsmouth, OH to Paul E. and Ada E. Bradbury. Jim grew up with a love for working with his hands and for recognizing the value of the repair of things worthy and unworthy of restoration. After graduation from Dunbar High School in 1962, Jim studied first at West Virginia University in Mechanical Engineering before transferring to a specialized Measurement Science program at the State University of New York to graduate at the top of his class. After graduation, he enlisted in the Army National Guard and worked for a scale company in Columbus, Ohio. He moved back to WV to help grow the family business of Kanawha Valley Scale Service. Jim grew Kanawha Scales and Systems into a worldwide enterprise. The company’s hallmark product was a high speed, accurate train loading system for bulk products which has now been consistently selling around the world for over 45 years.
Beyond KSS, Jim owned and operated many other businesses, most notably several in the realty sector, along with his wife Judy and son, Mark, as well as other valued partners. He held interests and served in leadership roles in several other companies, including a British-based company specializing in high performance aftermarket components for the automotive industry.
Jim is preceded in death by his parents, Paul E Bradbury and Ada E Bradbury. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Judy L (Freeman) Bradbury, and his children Tracy (Mudar) Kattash of Lake Charles, LA, Mark (Holley) Bradbury of Scott Depot, Michael (Liz) Bradbury of Louisville KY, and sisters Pat Hatcher of Dunbar, Pauletta (Mike) Fisher of Durham, NC, and Debbie (David) Schwirian of Charleston. Also left to cherish his memory are his grandchildren Ameera, Aniese, Aliya, Layla Kattash; Sarah and Hailey Bradbury; and Lou Bradbury (with a baby brother on the way), as well as several aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and extended family.
He enjoyed a long life with his wife, working side by side for 55 years and traveling the world together. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He enjoyed teaching his children and grandchildren many of life’s lessons like how to hold a flashlight steady while he worked under the hood of a car. His energetic and passionate work ethic, as well as his generosity to others has infected many around him, friends, family, and employees alike. His willingness to help repair your broken “anything” or to lend the tool or knowledge to do so will be greatly missed by many.
A Celebration of Life will be January 18th, 2025, from 4pm – 8pm at Embassy Suites 300 Court Street, Charleston. A time of sharing memories and stories will begin at 6:00 pm. A buffet of Hors d ’Oeuvres will be provided by the family.
DENNIS O. COTTRILL
Dennis O. Cottrill, 83, of Winfield, passed away on December 28, 2024.
He was born to the late Myles and Jeanette (Kiser) Cottrill on July 1, 1941 in Dunbar. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Peggy; and brother, Larry Cottrill.
Dennis is survived by his daughter Andrea Wright (Bodie) of Winfield; son, Brian Cottrill (April) of Huntington; grandchildren: Peyton and Zachary Frohnapfel; great-granddaughter, Emery Laine Milbee; and sister, Carolyn Duff of The Villages, FL.