Edeltraud "Traudy" Duys Bradley, of Lexington, MA, Jaffrey, NH, and Siesta Key, FL passed away unexpectedly from complications of a hip fracture at the age of 78 on May 28, 2022. She was surrounded by her close family.

Traudy was born in Oberbergen, Germany on January 17, 1944. She was the daughter of Hildegard Jorg. Hildegard married Dirk Duys who became Traudy's adoptive father and they brought Traudy to the US at the age of four. Traudy was the oldest of six children and has two sisters and three brothers.

Traudy spent her childhood growing up in a military family, as Dirk was a career Air Force officer who retired a Full Colonel. She lived in West Point, NY, Biloxi, MS, Kansas City, MO, and at her grandmother's Music Street farm on Martha's Vineyard Island, MA. Traudy traveled with her family to Germany and in 1960 graduated from The American High School in Frankfurt at the age of 16. This was followed by a year at a German gymnasium in Bad Godesberg while her father was stationed at the American Embassy in Bonn.

After studying in Germany, Traudy returned to the States and obtained her nursing degree in 1964 with a focus on pediatrics from Simmons Nursing School in Boston. Traudy went on to work at The National Institutes of Health in Washington, DC. In 1965 she married Stephen Bradley in Clinton, MD and moved to Berkeley, CA where she worked as a nurse in a private practice while Stephen finished his graduate studies. They then returned briefly to Washington, DC where their son Gerrit was born in 1968 and then finally to Lexington, MA in 1971 where they settled and had their daughter Jessica.

Traudy was extremely generous of spirit and was always the first to lend a hand. While her children were growing up she was very active in their school communities. Combining her love of Broadway musicals and her desire to help, she organized the Fiske School Follies and performed in Hello Dolly and Guys and Dolls to raise funds for the parent teacher association.

For many years Traudy volunteered at McClean Hospital running their Gift Shop and organizing holiday events for the patients. Traudy was also involved with the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, The Boston Symphony, and the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center.

Traudy was an amazing cook, gardener, birder, world traveler and voracious reader. With a close group of friends, Traudy formed "The Sisters of the Skillet" and much to their husbands' delight for many years they cooked cuisine from all over the globe. She was dedicated to appreciating everyone, locally delivering Christmas cookies to many around the holidays including her friends at Theatre Pharmacy and the workers at the US post office. Traudy took pride in her gardens and her knowledge of plants was impressive. Sending flowers was her love language and she gave them freely to family and friends. She actively gardened the surroundings of every house she lived in and even those of her neighbors and family! Her love of birds went hand in hand with her love of nature. Her gardens attracted hummingbirds and monarch butterflies. Every summer she carefully moved their chrysalis so that each would be able to find enough food. When in Siesta Key, FL during the winter months, Traudy collected seashells and watched the birds on the inland waterway and at Celery Fields. Traudy and Stephen loved to travel and she returned many times to Germany to visit and form lasting relationships with her cousins. Business and pleasure took them to the southernmost tip of South America, on safari in Africa, experiencing challenging formal dinners in Japan, making friends in Australia, as well as other wonderful places across Europe and the Americas with their family and friends. She only missed the continent of Antarctica. Traudy collected books like a squirrel does nuts, and her love of reading was contagious and culminated in her treasured book group participation.

Most of all Traudy loved her family and friends. Spending time with her grandchildren, children, siblings, nieces, nephews, and friends brought her true joy. She opened her homes and her heart for birthdays, holiday celebrations, family dinners or simply a cup of coffee. She was the most thoughtful, caring, and loving person that we will ever know. She will be greatly missed.

She leaves behind her loving husband of nearly 58 years Stephen Bradley, son Gerrit Bradley and wife Liz Bradley and their children Jake and Willa; her daughter Jessica Bradley and husband Tom Durkin and their son Colin; her five siblings: Terre and Scotty Young and their children Mac and Emma; Teddy and Joe Colanino and their daughter Laurie; Tim and Kathy Duys and son Troy DePriest; Tony and Charlene Duys and their daughter Adrienne; Toby and Louise Duys and their children Andrea, Danny, and Sarah.

A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held on June 29th at 1:30PM at the Church of Our Redeemer at 6 Meriam St, Lexington, MA with a reception immediately following on the church lawn. Internment will be private at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Massachusetts Audubon Society,  McLean Hospital in Belmont, or RaisingaReader.org.