Claire Jeannine Bradley, 33 of Fayetteville passed away on Wednesday, January 25, 2017.
She was born March 8, 1983 in Eugene, Ore. to Rodrick Doane Bradley and Karen Dill. She was a spunky, spirited child who embraced life with laughter, curiosity, and creativity. As a young girl, Claire was the ultimate tomboy; unkempt hair, shoelaces untied, same socks optional, while as a young lady she was all about everything “girly-girl,” including designing her own clothes. Early on she had to learn flexibility as her family moved multitudes of times up and down the west coast due to her father’s profession. Eventually Fayetteville, Ga., became her place to grow up. She attended Landmark Christian School from fifth grade until graduation. Claire was an honor student and enjoyed athletics, participating on the swim, tennis, cross-country and cheerleading teams. Her love of wrestling landed her as the manager/supporter extraordinaire of the wrestling team.
Yearly mission trips were a highlight for Claire, as her tender heart was deeply touched by loving on all the children she was able to support and connect with. Being a multi-talented young woman, Claire was a natural in the creative arts; creating collages, writing and drama productions. Musicals were her favorites, as her voice was a tour de force-golden. She received many accolades and awards for her performances. This culminated in her auditioning for the acclaimed University of Miami’s musical theatre department. She was accepted and offered a generous scholarship. Claire pursued many avenues in her singing career, working with various well-known producers. Some of her success arrived in surprising ways. After Dan Hannon produced her first album, Claire entered a Starbucks contest for all the singer/songwriter baristas throughout Canada and the U.S. Among the multitudes of entries she was one of fifteen chosen to be on the Starbucks album. She was the only one invited by Howard Schultz to fly to Seattle to sing her song in front of thousands of Starbucks’ shareholders. Writing/journaling was a life time pursuit of Claire’s. She left behind no less then thirty journals which reflect her thoughts and challenges on her life journey of discovery.
Claire’s joyous spirit and compassionate heart extended not only to the people she knew and worked with but also to the animal kingdom. She always surrounded herself with animals, and the last two years of her short life Claire became a doting mother of two Australian Cattle Dogs, Remy and Rogue. They kept her busy with her love of outdoor pursuits, including hiking, camping, and trips to lakes and rivers. The tragic car accident ended her young life and also claimed the life of her beloved Blue Heeler, Remy. Claire’s legacy includes the gifts and talents she shared with the world and, most importantly, the positive impact her authentic life had on the lives she touched.
Claire is survived by her father, Rodrick Doane, her mother, Karen, and her sister Christina.
A memorial/celebration of Claire’s life will be held at noon, Saturday, February 18, 2017 at Dogwood Church, 975 Joel Cowan Pkwy (Hwy. 74) Tyrone, Ga.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to cocoscupboarding.org and healing4heroes.org.
