01/23/2026
Captain Joseph Francis Bradley, affectionately known as Joe, passed away on January 8th, 2026 at age 88. He was born on May 2, 1937, in Camden, New Jersey and was the eldest child of the late Joseph and Anna Bradley (née Conwell). Joe was raised in Camden, NJ, and Fishtown (Philadelphia), PA alongside his sister Nancy Lindline (Joseph, deceased).
Joe attended North Catholic High School in Philadelphia, PA. Upon graduation, he was privileged to be introduced to the Pilots' Association for the Bay and River Delaware by his uncle, Pennsylvania Congressman Michael J. Bradley. Joe began his career as an apprentice, advanced to first-class pilot, and went on to have an illustrious 37-year career as a Delaware River pilot, an advocate for aids to navigation on the Delaware River, and a pioneer in navigation technology.
In the summer of 1965, Joe met Betty Ann in Ocean City, New Jersey, at a gathering on the bay. They married one year later and shared 58 years of a loving and devoted marriage until Betty Ann passed away on September 27, 2024. Joe was a proud and devoted father to his two daughters, Meghan Bradley (husband John Costello, granddaughter Samantha) and Dana Bradley (husband Richard Petrosky, grandson Alexander). When his daughters were in high school, Joe formed a close bond with Edwin Vazquez (wife Madeline, son Brody), to whom he became a cherished surrogate father.
Throughout his children's upbringing, Joe dedicated himself to service. He volunteered at St. Francis Inn Soup Kitchen in Kensington, Philadelphia for over 20 years and he and Betty Ann co-chaired the Caring and Sharing Ministry at their parish, St Thomas the Apostle, for 27 years. Together, they selflessly served their community by feeding and clothing those in need through initiatives such as turkey drives, Sandwich Saturdays, Casserole Sundays, and the Christmas Giving Tree, which provided Christmas gifts to over 400 families each year.
Joe loved the seashore and spent more than 30 summers in Ocean City, New Jersey, with his wife and daughters at Betty Ann's parents' summer home. Later, Joe and Betty Ann spent their summers in Bradley Beach, NJ, where Joe delighted in spending time with his adult children and his beloved grandchildren for another 20 years. He especially cherished attending Alex's baseball and basketball games and Samantha's horse shows and volleyball matches.
While Joe and Betty Ann lived most of their married life in Thornton, Pennsylvania, they spent their later years together at Shannondell Independent Living Community in Audubon, PA. Joe was a vibrant and engaged community member-meeting friends for dinner nightly, playing pool on Thursdays, enjoying the occasional bocce match, and hosting monthly poker games in his apartment.
A man of deep faith, Joe began each day in prayer. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and organized men's weekend retreats.
During his professional career, Joe was deeply committed to improving aids to navigation on the Delaware River. In the 1970s he worked closely with the U.S. Coast Guard and their Aids to Navigation Division becoming a nationally and internationally recognized expert on buoys and other physical aids to navigation such as light houses, beacons, and range lights. His efforts directly improved the aids in the Delaware River, making the waterway one of the best marked and best maintained waterways in the United States. He set the standard for improved AToN advocacy with the Coast Guard and Congress that other ports worked to emulate.
Joe was an early consultant at the United States Merchant Marine Academy's Computer Aided Operations Research Facility (CAORF) - a world-class, full-scale ship maneuvering simulator used for training future merchant mariners and conducting maritime research.
Joe was also a pioneer in maritime navigation technology. In 1980, he collaborated with engineers from the U.S. Coast Guard Research & Development Center and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory to develop the Portable LORAN-C Assist Device (PLAD)-one of the earliest portable navigation units for pilots. As GPS technology emerged in the early 1990s, Joe partnered with STARLINK Inc. of Austin, TX and Raytheon Service Company of Mt Laurel, NJ to develop the first GPS-based Portable Pilot Units (PPUs). These innovations quickly gained traction, and in 1994, the Pilots' Association for the Bay and River Delaware became the first U.S. pilot group to equip all its pilots with PPUs, setting a national standard for pilotage safety and precision.
Joe was recognized by the US Coast Guard with several civilian service awards, he was an honorary member of the Mariners' Advisory Committee, attended multiple international navigation conferences with the International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation (IALA), and partnered with Captain Wayne Bailey on the 45' Channel Deepening Simulation Project conducted by the US Army Corps of Engineers in Vicksburg, MS.
Joe was a devoted husband, loving father & grandfather, supportive brother, business partner, leader, trusted mentor, and a good friend. He is survived by many cousins with whom he maintained long-term bonds and many laughs over the years.
His many interests included tending his yard and planting flowers, listening to classical music, attending the ballet and symphony, telling stories, and enjoying a draught beer at the Bradley Brewery.
Joe's Mass of Christian Burial will be Saturday, January 31, 2026 at 12:00pm at St. Thomas the Apostle Church at 430 Valleybrook Rd. Glen Mills, PA 19342. A private burial will be with the immediate family. Joe's celebration of life luncheon with family and friends will immediately follow the mass. Details and directions will be provided at the Church.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:
- The Schinzel-Giedion Syndrome Foundation, where Joe's daughter Dana serves as a
Trustee: https://give.rarevillage.org/give/489585/ #!/donation/checkout
or
- The New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators Foundation where Joe's daughter Meghan serves on the Board as the Treasurer: https://njapm.org/donations/donate.asp?id=25239
