In Memory of Bradley (Brad) Lee Shelton

Bradley (Brad) Lee Shelton was born November 2, 1939, to Gerald and Marcilee Shelton on their farm near Lineville, Iowa. Brad passed away in Alamogordo, NM on August 7, 2026.

Brad enjoyed a rewarding Iowa farm boy childhood that included roaming 240 acres with his dogs, riding bikes and playing baseball with friends, feeding chickens, hogs and cows, working with tractors in the cornfield, harvesting oats, and putting up hay. He enjoyed school, 4-H, and Clio, Iowa Methodist Youth Fellowship.

The Shelton family moved to Phoenix, AZ in 1956 due to Marcilee’s severe arthritis. Brad worked in Phoenix with his father, running a service station, and learning how to repair cars, deal with customers, and handle business bookkeeping. He graduated with honors from North Phoenix High School in 1958 after winning the Phoenix Teenage Driving Rodeo. Brad made many lifelong friends in the Wesley Fellowship of Garfield Methodist Church. He enrolled in Arizona State University where he became an Air Force ROTC Cadet Officer graduating in 1963 with an Air Force commission and BS in Finance.

Brad became an airplane navigator after pilot training and met his future wife, Carla Sonntag, in Texas and served at bases in AZ, CA, NV, TX, AR, VA, NM, Guam, Thailand, and Japan. He was an instructor navigator and radar navigator in the B-52 and had 184 missions over Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War with awards of nine Air Medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He served seven years on combat crews with nuclear alert and had over 4,500 hours in the B-52. He earned an MS in Management from the University of Arkansas in 1974 and became an Accounting Officer retiring from the Air Force as the Budget Officer at Holloman AFB, NM in 1983.

Brad’s next career was as Campus Finance Officer at New Mexico State University-Alamogordo. He was in charge of budgeting, accounting, purchasing, student accounting, bookstore, food services, and maintenance, and served on the administrative council. He was proud of positive financial results thanks to dedicated employees and NMSU-A faculty and staff. He retired from NMSU-A in 2001, but went back twice.

Brad met Martha Curtis at a square dance and they were married January 2, 1994. They enjoyed their Alamogordo home, reading, each other’s families, Grace Methodist Church, square dancing, the mountains, world travel, flying on Southwest Airlines, ocean cruising, and remodeling two houses. In retirement, Brad put his finance degree to use by managing investments, doing volunteer taxes with AARP, and working with NMSU-A Adult Basic Education finances. The Tularosa Basin Historical Society honored Brad with a Lifetime Achievement Award for volunteering his professional knowledge as treasurer, board member, and Form 990 tax preparer. He participated in many church committees, Joy Sunday School Class, and Habitat for Humanity, as well as other mission projects in Mexico and the Southwest U.S. He was a long-time member of the White Sands Rotary Club and honored as a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow, as well as a life member of Military Officers Association of America.

Brad is proud of his three children, all with advanced degrees. He is survived by his dear wife Martha; children, Marilee Shelton-Davenport (Matthew) of Silver Spring, MD, Steven Shelton (Becky) of Holly Springs, NC, Douglas Shelton (Naoko) of San Francisco, CA; grandchildren, Noah and Marisa Davenport and Skye, Sage, Ronan, and Una Shelton; sister, Nancy Noble (Bob) of Wintersburg, AZ; Martha’s children, Toby Smith (Chad) of Ruidoso, NM and Lari Reddell (Adam) of Smithville, TX; Martha’s grandchildren, Whitney Ames (Ryan) of Las Cruces, NM, Averi Franco (Prince) of Fort Worth, TX, Brent and Cameron Reddell of Smithville, TX; great grandchildren, Andrew, Baylee, and Aaron Franco.

Brad is predeceased by his stillborn son, Lawrence; his parents; and his brother, Stanley.

A Graveside Service will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, August 15, 2026, at Monte Vista Cemetery with Military Honors. A Memorial Service will follow at 2:00 pm at Grace United Methodist Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Grace Methodist Church.