In gratitude and sorrow we acknowledge the passing of James (Jim) Thomas Brady, a beautiful soul and beloved son, husband, father, and grandfather. GG2, as he was known to his great grandchildren, made his transition peacefully at 87 years of age on January 26, 2026, at home in Melbourne, Florida, following a lengthy illness. 

Never one to complain or ask “why me” when life got tough, he was the embodiment of humility and quiet strength.  “Take the eye, save the guy” was the saying on the shirt he bought shortly after losing an eye to cancer in 2022. 

Jim loved life and the natural world. Above all, he loved God, his family and country. 

Christmas was his favorite holiday, and he spread his love of it to his children by pulling them in a sled around the neighborhood to look at the lights, convincing them that the airplane lights were indeed Rudolph’s nose. Later, he would rope together four grade-school children like mountain climbers so he wouldn’t lose them in deep, snowy woods to find the perfect Christmas tree. He dressed up as Santa, spoke with a thick Irish brogue, and completed the illusion by first hurrying out of the house with a bag of carrots for the “reindeer on the roof.” He taught his children to make fruitcake, with the most important ingredient of all — love. 

His children and grandchildren owe their love of nature to the many camping and fishing trips in Alaska he took them on every summer, mostly on the Kenai Peninsula from the Russian and Trail rivers to Ptarmigan, Moose Pass and Kenai Lake.

Jim grew up in New York City as the only child of the late Thomas and Anne Brady. He was named after his paternal grandfather from County Longford, Ireland, who was the master of the Granard Union Workhouse, a place for the destitute and orphans. His grandfather was described as a “gentle, kindly man, who worshipped his wife, and was foolishly proud of his family.” Jim’s father, Tommy, followed his uncle to New York City where he managed an A&P grocery store before opening The Fireside Inn and The Last Stop bar and restaurants with his brother. 

Jim attended Catholic grammar and high schools before setting off on a life of adventure in the U.S. Air Force — but not before proposing to the love of his life whom he married in January of 1957. Jim and Marion met while working the Christmas holiday season at B Altman & Company’s department store. While dating, they often had to meet on the post office stairs, which holds a special place in both their hearts. 

It has been said that Jim was influenced to join the Air Force by the 1955 movie, “The McConnell Story,” because growing up he often was told he resembled its star Alan Ladd. He served more than 20 years in the Air Force and was honorably discharged in 1976 from a top secret clearance position within the Alaska Air Command at Elmendorf AFB (now part of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson). Early in his military career, Jim was educated in IBM mainframe computer systems, when computers took up entire rooms. During Jim’s tenure as a Computer Operations Supervisor, the Alaskan Command acted as the “Gibraltar of the North,” directly responsible to the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff for the first-line aerial defense of Alaska and North America and support of unified and specified commands. He received various meritorious achievement and honorable service medals as well as faithful service and combat readiness awards over the course of his career. 

Jim did not chase money or fame. He lived a quiet life with dignity and simplicity. He, like his grandfather he was named after, was a “gentle, kindly man, who worshipped his wife and was foolishly proud of his family.” He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Marion, and their daughters and son Veronica, Kathy, Tom and Sheila and their spouses Mark Dent, Terry O’Brien, Jenny née Balthazar and George Johnstone; as well as grandchildren Mathew J., James, Gillian, Marcella, Christian, Brittany, Mathew B., and Nicolette and their partners; and great grandchildren Avarie, Emma, Livia, Lulu and baby George Kellan due in April. 

A funeral mass will be held at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church at 10 a.m. Friday, March 13, 2026, followed by a military burial at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery and wake at his family home.