Patrick Arlington Bradford of Albany passed away of natural causes on March 4, 2025 at the age of 45 in Hermiston, where he had been working as a data center chief engineer for Amazon Web Services.
Patrick was born on June 6, 1979 in Portland and grew up in the Portland area, graduating from Sunset High School in 1997. After serving as a jet engine mechanic on F/A-18 fighter jets in the U.S. Marine Corps for more than six years, Patrick worked in a variety of engineering roles in Oregon and California including as a chief race car mechanic, which was one of his dream jobs.
Patrick will be especially remembered for his love of electro-mechanical devices, particularly related to race cars. His early years included regularly attending races at PIR and the Rose Festival Air Show in Hillsboro. He was soon spending countless hours racing RC cars, playing video games and working on a variety of projects and sharing these passions with others. He loved a challenging project and was frequently creating sketches, formulas and calculations relating to those projects. He touched the lives of those around him, and he will be missed by his family, friends and colleagues.
Patrick is survived by his mother, Nancy Myers and stepfather, Dave Riss; brother, Jeremy (Kate); sisters, Tessa (David), Stephanie (Calvin), Britt (Dennis) and Valerie (Kara); and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins who will cherish his memory.
Patrick was preceded in death by his father, Prentice Bradford.
Patrick will be laid to rest at Willamette National Cemetery. A celebration of life will follow in the spring or summer with a date to be announced.
Donations to a charity that provides support to U.S. veterans and military service members are suggested in lieu of flowers or other tributes.
