Obituary of Bradford William Cordell

Bradford W. Cordell

Bradford W. Cordell, of Cleveland, Ohio (formerly of Ashtabula, Ohio), passed away peacefully at his home on August 19, 2019.

Brad was born at the Bethesda Naval Hospital in Bethesda, MD on April 11, 1955, to James L. and Barbara (Warren) Cordell.  He graduated from Ashtabula Harbor High School in 1973 and from Kent State University in 1980.

Brad married Karen R. Bull on June 3, 1978 in Toronto, Ontario.  They returned to make their home in Ashtabula, and he worked for Triad Salvage, Corry Rubber, and Northeast Box Company.  In 1984, he and his mother, Barbara, along with Peter and Sue Ducro, acquired the William Smith Monument Company on Lake Avenue in Ashtabula, beginning his career in the granite industry.  Brad learned to carve granite and operated the monument business until it was sold in 2000.  He then went into the wholesale granite business, working as a salesman for a variety of international companies including Gramol SA, Cosentino and Gramaco.

Brad was a member of the Ashtabula Country Club, Elks Club, and First Presbyterian Church.  He was an avid downhill skier and snowboarder, having earned his Canadian Ski Instructor’s pin in 1977.  He was the Ski Club advisor at Harbor High School and Edgewood High School for many years.  He also enjoyed playing golf, and watching football, soccer, basketball, baseball and other sports. Brad was  Past President of the Ashtabula Chamber of Commerce and a proud graduate of Leadership Ashtabula in 1993.

He is survived by his wife, Karen, of Cleveland, Ohio; sons, Brian (Laura) of Tampa, FL, and Alan (Amanda) of Cleveland, OH; three grandchildren: Elizabeth and Henry of Tampa, FL, and Ivan, of Cleveland, OH; as well as his brother, Stuart W. (Kimberly) of Ashtabula, OH, and sister, Janet L. Armstrong (Russell), of Bellevue, Washington, and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Brad was preceded in death by his parents, Jim and Barbara Cordell.

Memorial Services will be at 10:00AM on Saturday, August 31, 2019 at the Zaback-Williams-Ducro Funeral Home, 500 West Prospect Road, Ashtabula, Ohio, 44004. Rev. Ken Ayers, Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Ashtabula, is officiating. Private burial will be in Chestnut Grove Cemetery.

Visitation will be observed from 4:00PM until 7:00PM at on Friday, August 30, 2019 at the Zaback-Williams-Ducro Funeral Home, 500 West Prospect Road, Ashtabula, Ohio, 44004.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to First Presbyterian Church of Ashtabula, 4317 Park Avenue, Ashtabula, Ohio 44004.

Zaback-Williams-Ducro Funeral Home, 500 West Prospect Road, Ashtabula, Ohio, 44004 is assisting the family. www.ducro.com