Mary Z. Bradley

Feb. 4, 1941 - Oct. 11, 2024

Mary Z. Bradley was born Mary Lou Zaeske in East Troy, Wisconsin in 1941 to parents Al and Marge Zaeske. She is predeceased by her brother Linn. All her life Mary would speak with passion about the Midwest, the Big 10, and Wisconsin to anyone willing to discuss. She went to U of W Madison and was a Kappa Alpha Theta, staying in close touch with many of her sorority sisters her entire life. Mary moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1965, where she stayed the rest of her life, to teach French at Scottsdale High School and Judson, and later taught at Marcos de Niza in Tempe. Mary was a Francophile who adored traveling in France, spending summers studying in Aix-en-Provence, chatting with locals in Paris, and painting. She was an avid painter, even more so in the later decades of her life, and adored her painting classes and the inspiration they brought. Her garden was a burst of colorful roses against a purple wall, and Mary’s happy place. She loved swimming in the neighborhood pool as much as she loved chatting up her neighbors. Mary has been a passionate member of St Barnabas on the Desert since 1968, where she was married and later raised her family, and her faith was an anchor in her life; she considered the parish “her tribe”. Her zest for positivity, gregarious personality, bold laugh, and incredible taste in hats and fashion will be missed by all who knew her, and especially by her children Jonathan and Elizabeth, and her wonderful cousins. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 1pm on Friday, November 1, 2024 at St. Barnabas on the Desert, where Mary requested the guests dress colorfully and wear a hat if possible! Donations in her name may be made to St. Barnabas on the Desert.