Leslie Bradner Obituary

Leslie Nicole Bradner arrived as the first and only child of Robert and Linda Bradner on May 6, 1974. She was almost immediately spoiled by her maternal grandparents, Bob and Dessie Titus; her paternal grandparents, William Thomas and Hazel Bradner; her aunt, Emily L Bradner, and a host of all their family and friends whom she would very soon come to love as they did and do.

Leslie attended Charlotte County Public Schools where she was nurtured and taught by dedicated teachers and aides, many of whom she credited with helping form her values of caring for all people and animals without discrimination of any kind with the exception of mice...she hated mice.  She graduated from Randolph-Henry High School with the Class of 1991 (Go, Ladies of ’91!). After high school Leslie continued her education at SVCC for one year, completed a BS in Psychology at VCU and a Masters in Psychology at ODU. While at ODU, she worked nights at Bank of America in Norfolk. After graduation, she became the administrator at Temple Israel. In 2016, Leslie moved back to Charlotte Court House and obtained employment as a faculty member at SVCC teaching psychology and adult education. Teaching proved quite fulfilling for her and she enjoyed SVCC until the day of her death on February 19, 2025. In her thirtieth year her parents received a phone call that went just like this: “I’m 30, the only decent men I know are either married or gay and I want to be a mom, so I’m adopting a child.” Four years and miles of red tape later, Leslie, accompanied by her Mom, traveled to China and returned with Fin Mian Bradner, her four-year-old daughter. Seventeen years later Fin is a student at VCU majoring in chemistry. Those years have been filled with love, spats, lots of dogs and cats, and adventures together and with friends and family.

On February 18, she called her Dad to say she would have to skip a night of tv with her parents because she had a terrible headache and needed to go to sleep. She could not be reached by phone the next morning, and her Mom went to check on her. Everyone Leslie knew had their lives changed to some degree by what her Mom found. 

A Service of Life and Resurrection will be held at Madisonville Presbyterian Church, 300 County Line Road, Cullen, Virginia 23934 at 2:00 pm on Saturday, March 1, 2025. The service will be followed by a time of fellowship in the church’s social hall. Because Leslie hated dressing up, people are encouraged to dress casually and colorfully. Those wishing to honor Leslie’s memory may do so by rescuing an animal, donating time and/or resources to an animal shelter, or providing pet food to a food bank.

Puckett Funeral Home is serving the family. www.puckettfh.com.