LOVELL, MARIE Obituary

LOVELL, MARIE attended Piner High School in Santa Rosa, CA. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Lovell, Marie.

Graduation Year	Class of 1979
Date of Passing	Mar 18, 2010
About	MARIE LOVELL Lifelong Santa Rosa resident Marie Louise Lovell Bradford, 49, had a loving family, dedicated friends and a campus life during her 25 years working at Sonoma State University. She died unexpectedly Thursday at a Santa Rosa hospital following a brief illness and infection, leaving her family, friends and co-workers shocked and grieving. Marie Lovell was born and raised in Santa Rosa and graduated from Piner High School in 1979. “She was just an all-around caring person. She knew how to take the pressure off everybody,” said her son, Michael Lovell of Santa Rosa. She maintained friendships forged at Comstock Junior High and at Piner for decades, including her circle of five best friends. “We were the fantastic five,” said Kim Finitz of Folsom. Bradford began working at Sonoma State in 1985 as a dispatcher trainee. In 1992 she became a parking officer and in 2002 was promoted to supervising parking officer. Police officials will retire her badge in an honor ceremony Saturday at the college. SSU Police Chief Nate Johnson said Bradford’s death left a vacuum in the department. He recalled her positive attitude, on display even in some parking situations, which could be difficult. “She left folks with a smile,” Johnson said. “She very much was a part of the (campus) community.” Family and friends said Bradford was a dedicated mother. When her son played in the Santa Rosa Little League years ago she helped with the teams and supported his efforts. Her love of sports carried to the teams at Sonoma State where she enjoyed watching the college athletes practice and play. She also became close to players and coaches. “She loved the sports. She loved everything out there. She loved being around the kids all the time,” said her son. Bradford also had many hobbies, including a love of fishing, which came from her father. Wednesday nights were for her women’s pool league at the Wagon Wheel. She played for decades and won so many trophies she was recycling them back to the North Bay club to be re-used. Bradford was good at crafts and last summer she made a hand-beaded purse, entered it in the Sonoma County Fair crafts competition and was proud of the result. “It was a beautiful, gorgeous purse. She got second place,” Finitz said. Bradford was working on another one for this year’s fair. For the past five years she’d been in a relationship with Dean Bradford of Santa Rosa and two years ago they married. The marriage was a major part of Bradford’s happy life, Finitz said. In addition to her son and husband, survivors include her mother, Alice Lovell of Santa Rosa; a brother, Melvin Lovell, and sister, Debbie Dedrick, both of Santa Rosa; step-son Donald Bradford of Santa Rosa and best friends Kim Finitz of Folsom, Cindy Wise of Rohnert Park, Teresa Molinari of Santa Rosa and Julie Smith of Valdez, Alaska. SENIOR YEARBOOK BIOGRAPHY MARIE LOVELL Likes: CT, KF, RH, BT, SH, cold duck, my van, partying w/friends, Hawaii, football games, 4th St, growing my wild plants, wild parties. Remembers: Homecoming 77 Turnabout 77, skiing w/ Kim, Sammy Hagar, new years, Mr. Gianquinto's class, cutting school w.Claude, smoking grounds, partying across the street. Plans: College and marry Claude.