Deceased January 31, 1993
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In Memory
J. Bradford Haley died in Hanover, N.H., on Sunday, Jan. 31, 1993, after suffering a series of sudden heart attacks. A victim of lupus disease, he had been battling that affliction for several years. He is survived by his wife, Parissa.
I had the privilege of enjoying Brad's close friendship for over 25 years. We met on our very first day at Amherst and immediately formed one of those rare and valuable bonds that weathered both joyous occasions and tumultuous times spanning four different decades. Brad surpassed everything one normally would expect from a friend—always willing to listen or help in spite of his own personal dilemmas. He never wavered in his support of Amherst and served the college well for many years as a class agent.
After leaving Amherst, Brad traveled to Tufts where he earned a master's degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He then joined MIT in the financial aid department and subsequently moved to Washington, D.C., where he was treasurer and director of student loans for the Student Loan Marketing Association. Career advancement took him to the First Boston Corporation in New York City where he was vice president of the Capital Market Group. Finally, he settled in at Dartmouth working for the past two years as director of external business affairs at the Amos Tuck School of Business. Clearly, a common thread through Brad's professional life was always to be in a position where he was helping others. He did this better than anybody I know.
I remember this fine friend as a person of deep compassion; a man of magnetic personality and sharp wit who befriended people from all walks of life. He functioned as though unaware of his own personal condition—for the last several years he was on dialysis treatment four times a week due to kidney failure—opting instead to buy into the problems of others and assuming an active role in solving those problems.
Brad was laid to rest in Washington, D.C. I, and many others, had the opportunity to speak of him at his memorial service. I was moved by the number of people who commented so lovingly about this man. Alan Van Egmond, one of Brad's closest friends, portrayed him most accurately in the following: "Brad was too humble to acknowledge any of his impressive accomplishments. He would never call attention to the fact that he overcame very difficult odds and conquered the frightening challenges of attending the leading schools of the land. Brad would never convey to anyone the fact that he excelled in his professional life thereafter. He would never let people know that as a top officer of the federal student loan program, Brad was a pioneer in helping needy students achieve their dreams. Also, it is not widely known that Brad befriended, counseled and encouraged many promising young leaders. Brad would be embarrassed to hear that he was one of the most talented persons one could hope to work with. Instead, Brad let the light in his life attest to these things."
Brad's legacy to me, to anyone who knew him, is his friendship for which I am a better person. I will miss him terribly, but I know he has touched my spirit. My memories of Brad, what I learned from, will serve me well in the future.
Rest peacefully, old friend. We love you.
Bill Pettit '71