Elwood "Woody" Brady

"Woody," Elwood Theodore Brady, 85, of Toledo, Oregon - formerly from Denver, Colorado - passed away on November 13, 2019. He was born on October 28, 1934 in Annapolis, Maryland to Elwood and Lena Brady (Macaluso). After graduating from high school, Woody earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland and served in the Marines during the Korean War. On October 26, 1968, Woody married the love of his life, "Liz," Elizabeth Margaret Schweitzer in Lakewood Colorado. He was a loving and doting father to their daughter, Velvet Ann. Woody supported his family by working in the retail industry, usually in a service capacity. A caring and gentle man, he took up the plight of the monarchs by encouraging everyone he could to support their survival and natural migration by planting milkweed in their yards. Butterflies weren't his only passion, though. Woody enjoyed several other outdoor activities like gardening, hiking, camping, and birding. He also played tennis regularly, and continued to "coach" Velvet, giving her pointers in her game right up to their last game together. Velvet and her husband, Ray Malloy, had moved to the Florida Keys, giving Woody and Liz opportunities to visit and explore. A few years ago, Woody and Liz, with Velvet and Ray, moved to Toledo, where they continued to make lasting memories as a family. Liz tells this story from Colorado: Woody was going to go knock a wasp nest down off the eave of our home in Denver. It was a very hot day and he was wearing shorts, but to protect himself from the wasps, he put on a big winter parka. It was long past his shorts, but with his legs sticking out, it looked like he had no pants on at all. To protect his face, he put a butterfly net over his head. It was a pretty funny looking outfit, but that was Woody, just trying the best he could to get the job done! Velvet shares these memories: The day after graduation for me, my dad took me to Pikes Peak at 3am. We left and we climbed up and we saw all 4 seasons on the way. When we were half way, we stopped at a cabin visitor center. In the back it had a beautiful area - the grounds were like a meadow full of wildflowers. We laid our jackets down and fell asleep for a little while, watching the clouds. At the top, a man fell down the rocks and we helped the rescue team get the man on a stretcher, off the trail, back to the top and to a helicopter. Then we climbed back down before sunset. Ray and Dad went on a camping trip in Colorado with our dogs, with packs. A mama bear with a cub came out on the trail. Dad was behind everyone, and when Ray looked back, he could see that Dad had a Swiss Army knife to keep everyone safe. =) LOL! When I lived in the Florida Keys, Dad and Mom would visit Ray and me. Dad and I sat up on top of our house and watched the stars on our crow's nest platform patio. No lights - just us and the sound of frogs and a sea of stars. We had a contest on who could find the most constellations. A letter from Velvet: Dad, Your greatest joy was getting people to laugh. All the fun times you and I had, no one could ever replace you - modest, gentle and a great teacher. I will hold all those memories of tennis, hiking, birding, and staying up late giggling with midnight snacks. I will think of those times always so that we are never far apart - I love you, I will miss you. Love, Velvet Celebration of Life with Military Funeral Honors 11:00 am Wednesday, December 11, 2019 at Bateman Funeral Home.

Tributes

Elwood "Woody" Brady

October 28, 1934 - November 13, 2019