COOPERSTOWN – Bradley K. Wilfeard, a native of Cooperstown who served for many years as a security officer at Bassett Hospital, and who was well known as an avid fan of Star Trek, passed away following a brief illness early Thursday morning, April 25, 2024, at Bassett Medical Center surrounded by his wife and daughter. He was 68.
Bradley was born at the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown on December 3, 1955, a son of Herbert and Irene (Childs) Wilfeard. He attended Cooperstown Central School, graduating with the Class of 1974.
On August 21, 1976, he married Kathleen P. Warley in a ceremony on her family’s property in Garrattsville.
Proud to be a Native Son of Cooperstown, Bradley enjoyed growing up in the area and as a child loved farming in Pierstown. He began a career in food service working at Sherry’s Famous Restaurant at the corner of Main and Chestnut Streets in Cooperstown. He then went to work at Bassett Hospital in their food service department, where he stayed for two years until joining their security team. He became a well-respected security officer, and served the hospital in this capacity for 43 years until retiring September 1, 2020.
In his leisure, Brad always loved a good meal, and especially enjoyed eating out. His love for food was almost equal with his love for Star Trek-he was a huge fan. He will be greatly missed.
Bradley was predeceased by his father, Herbert in 1983; his mother, Irene in 2014; his brothers Bernard L. Wilfeard, Sr. in 1999 and David M. Wilfeard in 2018; and his father-in-law, Chester Warley who died in 2020.
Bradley is survived by his wife of 47 years, Kathleen Wilfeard; daughter, Andrea Wilfeard and fiancé Keith Meier of Cobleskill; sisters Peggy (Alan) Basile, Holly (Ed) Pearsall and Nedena (Ronald) Swift, and sister-in-law Elizabeth Wilfeard, as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins; his mother-in-law, Simonne Warley; sister-in-law Pamela Warley and brother-in-law, Steven (Terrianne) Warley.
Family and friends may call and pay their respects from 4-6 p.m. on Friday, May 3, 2024, at the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown. A service will be held at 6 p.m. that evening at the funeral home with Rev. Betsy Jay officiating.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made to the Garrattsville Emergency Squad, 4413 State Highway 51, Garrattsville, NY 13342, or Otsego County Emergency Services, 140 County Highway 33W, Cooperstown, NY 13326.
“Live long and prosper”
Arrangements are under the care and guidance of Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.
If you would like to send condolences to the family, send an email to Connell, Dow & Deysenroth. We will forward your comments to the family. If you would like to send flowers in memory of the deceased, contact Mohican Flowers at (607) 547-8822, or A Rose is a Rose at (607) 264-3100.
