Bradley A. Adamson

In February 1943 at the height of World War II while 10,000 Japanese troops snuck out of Guadalcanal in Operation Ke, Beatrice & Elbert Adamson welcomed their second and third sons into the world. A seemingly innocent set of twins who they named Bradley and Brian.

In no short order these two started what would be a decades long three ring circus for their parents and almost everyone else that encountered them. From their earliest days the boys caused all kinds of madness for them, blocking doors with cribs and rolling their moms car out in neutral to cruise the city.

Given the amount of grief they caused for their older brother Craig we all wonder how he did not go mad, instead he obtained his law degree and followed them around sweeping up messes.

Somehow both survived to adulthood graduating from Olympus High School Class of ’61

Not long after the US Army took a crack at them. Upon completion of their service the Army (I’m certain) begged them not to reenlist offering them honorable discharges if they promised to never come back.

After the Army spit them out Harry Wilkinson decided they would make great bar tenders at his bar, The Bird Cage on 3300 S Highland Drive. How Harry made a nickel during those days is beyond us. Rumor has it all the proceeds ended up in Elko Nevada.

Bradley married his high school sweetheart Margo Mallory in September 1965. Together they raised three wonderful (kidding) sons, Christopher, Brent and Stephen.

During this time the twins having now mastered education, military service and bar tending some how got jobs as Deputy Sheriff’s with the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Countless administrators regretted this decision for years to come.

Both spent ten years at the Sheriff’s office working narcotics, vice, traffic/motors, fugitives, homicide and a few other assignments establishing what has held for 40 years as some of the most legendary antics in the department’s history.

Bradley moved to the Salt Lake County Attorney’s Office (later becoming the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office) and Brian landed at the Utah Attorney General’s Office. Both completing 30 plus years in law enforcement retiring in 2000 Brad as the Chief Investigator and Brian as a Lieutenant.

Brad worked on some of the most notorious cases in Salt Lake County’s history. His reputation in the law enforcement community and on both sides of the legal aisle (prosecution and defense) is what most cops can only aspire too.

If you added the saltiness of Dirty Harry, the humor of Navin R. Johnson (aka The Jerk) and the looks of Robert Redford into a bowl mixed it all together and then split the atom you would have the Adamson twins.

The humor possessed by Brad is stuff of legend, just when you thought he could not outdo his last prank he pulled another amazing practical joke out of thin air. Bob, you are a good sport. Thanks for allowing our father to entertain all of us at your expense.

Bradley’s three children fueled by the twins stories of action and adventure did our best to emulate his stupidity with limited success. Brad pretended to be mad, often he was really just disappointed in our mediocre attempts at emulating him, while our mother was not impressed.

The twins loved their fathers cabin at Fish Lake and along with their brother and father spent many years prowling the mountain trails in the infamous International Scout terrorizing any animal they could get a license to hunt or fish.

Brad, Brian, Craig and Elbert ruled the skies above the Harrison Duck Club for many years. Brad had the privilege of spending the last day of his father’s life hunting ducks at the Harrison with him right up to the very end (how we all want to go…)

Our family spent summers at the cabin with our grandparents and cousins Robert, James, and many weekends on Uncle Brian’s boats with Jennifer and Ann at Powell and the Gorge. Brad always shared his passion for the outdoors with his family.

We spent weekends camping in the Uintas with Uncle Joby and Aunt Sue and our cousins Shelly, Blake and Lisa. We traveled to Uncle Mikes and Aunt Sheila’s home in Newport Beach to spend time with cousins Mike Jr, Jennifer, Rob and Liz at the beach. When visiting Margo’s parents Joe and Gayle in Costa Mesa we all loved hearing Grandpa Joe call out “hello Sheriff” whenever he saw Brad. Visiting Uncle Mike in Tahoe was always a favorite for Brad and his family.

After retirement Brad embraced being a grandfather, he found a passion for his grandkids as he got older, he enjoyed watching them play sports and spending time with them in the outdoors. If he couldn’t attend the grandkids events he always enjoyed hearing about them and getting photo and video updates.

Bradley cared deeply for his family and maintained a great relationship with his wife Margo after their divorce through his last breath, Margo was with Brad when he passed and we are forever grateful for her love and compassion.

Bradley slid across the finish line with one good eye, a failing kidney, an artificial hip, broken, battered, out of fuel with the check engine light blinking and completely out of blinker fluid. He reached the end of the internet living life to its fullest, beating everyone at the game of life.

Bradley was preceded in death by his parents Beatrice and Elbert Adamson, many of his friends and former co-workers.

He is survived by his twin brother Brian, older brother Craig (Joanna), his three sons Chris (Aimee), Brent (Pamela), Stephen and our mother Margo. His six grandchildren, Mallory, Hailey, Samuel, Alexandra, Eli and Ian.

In lieu of flowers please consider a purchase or donation from/to the FRANZIA Wine Company. While we recognize promoting alcohol may not be in the best taste we also know the loss of their best customer is bound to have a negative impact on many employee’s families during the upcoming holiday season, its for the children.

A special thank you to the staff of CommonSpirit Jordan Valley Holy Cross Hospital for taking care of Bradley in his final days and Larkin Mortuary for taking care of Bradley after his passing.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Elvis has left the building…

Cheers pops,

Love your three sons,
Christopher, Brent and Stephen

Bradley did not wish to have a formal service, a celebration of his life will be announced later.