James was born June 29, 1928 in Indianapolis, Indiana and moved to Punta Gorda 20 years from Olathe, Kansas. He was a veteran of the Korean War serving proudly for the US Army. He was a graduate of Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska and received his Masters Degree in teaching from Ball State University in Indiana. He retired from teaching for the Indianapolis Public School Systems in 1972 and pursued his career working at the Adventist Hospital Systems. James later worked for the Shawnee Mission Hospital in Kansas then moved to Florida where he worked for Charlotte Regional Medical Center in Punta Gorda. James later retired in Punta Gorda but continued to help people by volunteering for the local churches with the literacy programs and volunteering at Charlotte Regional Medical Center with the accounting office. He was a member of the Port Charlotte Seventh Day Adventist Church where he was involved with the music program and later becoming the founding member of the Liberty Singers Choral Group. James was a giving man who was always helping people and volunteering his services and he will be missed by all who loved and knew him.

He is survived by his loving wife of 37 years, Muriel E. Bradburn; two sons, David (Sonja) Bradburn of Tillamook, OR and Gordon Beardsley of Loma Linda, CA; four daughters, Karyn Bradburn of Tacoma, WA and Kathy Bradburn, Sherry (Fred) Beardsley Hickman of Santa Ana, CA and Renee (Dan) Beardsley Gotschalk of Hayes, KS; a sister, Joan Bradburn of Chattanooga, TN; a son in law, Fred Stephens of Orlando, FL and daughter in law, Lisa Beardsley of Burtonsville, MD; and seven grandchildren, Virginia, Joshua, Jeffrey, Zachary, Alexander, Nicholas and Freddie. He was preceded in death by his loving son and daughter, Bill Bradburn and Linda Beardsley Stephens.