Blaine Bradford

My hero is probably my grandfather, Blaine. He hasn't done many outstanding and heroic things in his life but he has changed so many people's lives in a little way. He is an extremely nice guy and he has a very soft heart. So soft in fact, that he has had over 10 heart attacks. No, I'm not kidding. He has had more heart attacks then you can count on two hands, and he is still living today. I think that in and of itself is a heroic act. Well enough about his crappy heart, let's get down to the good stuff.

He taught fifth grade at an elementary school here in Spanish Fork called Brockbank Elementary. He taught there for about 30 years and he knows every single person that lives in Spanish Fork today. Every adult person over 30 years old asks me who my Grandfather is, and when I tell them Blaine, they break out into a frenzy about how good of a teacher he was and how much they love him. They all care about him very much, asking me how he is doing and how his heart is doing. This shows how big of an impact he made on peoples lives, if they still remember him on a first name basis thirty years later, he must have made a pretty significant impact on their lives at some point.

Not only was he a school teacher, he was also a great carpenter and builder. Everywhere me and my family go, my dad is always telling me "Oh, your Grandpa built that building right there." He pretty much had something to do with every structure built in Spanish Fork. This shows that he cared about the community and how the community looked. He was very skilled in carpentry and woodworking and he was able to make a living for him and his family by doing it for many years. He was a community role model in the later years in his life and everyone looked up to him. He was nice to everyone, and not only because he wanted to build their house, but because he was just a genuine man all around.

He was also a very amazing athlete. He was on the Spanish Fork High School baseball team and he was selected to the all-state team 3 times. He also played football and basketball and was very good at each. The students in the school looked up to him and he was considered a leader around the school. After his high school sports career, he was chosen to play for a 3A team. He played on this team for a decent amount of years, but he never made it to the big leagues. After his sports career was over, his carpentry career began.

My grandfather was just an all around amazing guy. He was good at everything he did and he always did it with a smile. Helping everyone around him achieve their goals while he achieved his. He was a helpful, hardworking, funny and kind man, and these are the qualities I admire the most in him. There are no words to express how much he contributed to the community and how much he helped people live a successful life. He was a great man and I am very happy that I was blessed with being related to him. He did what he was supposed to do, while keeping a smile on other people's faces and a smile on his face.