Beloved father, son, and brother, Bradley Kirk “Brad” Brinson, 66, of Centralia, Wash., lost his battle with COVID-19 Monday, Nov. 1, 2021, at St. Vincent Hospital in Portland, Oregon. Brad was born Nov. 11, 1954, in Everett, Washington, to Glenn D. and Sharon Lee (Kirkendoll) Brinson.
His family moved to Lewis County when he was young and he attended Toledo schools. He graduated from Toledo High School in 1973 and was very involved in sports while he was a student there, playing on the basketball, baseball and football teams.
He met Michelle Lynn “Shelly” Slade while the two were working at McCracken Motor Freight; she worked in the office, and he worked as a driver. They began dating, and were married July 5, 1997, in Emmett, Idaho. Two children, McKenna and Bryce, were born to the couple, and not long after Bryce’s birth, Brad started his 17-year career as a diesel mechanic with Sorenson Trucking in Chehalis. Brad and Michelle’s marriage ended, but the pair remained good friends.
Brad loved his family very much and enjoyed cooking meals for them, though the food didn’t always taste that great! He enjoyed crockpot cooking in particular, and the idea that his meals would be ready for him when he came home was a bonus. When McKenna moved out on her own, he bought her a crockpot cookbook to help her out a bit. Brad’s “thing” with Bryce was working on cars, and Brad made sure that both kids knew how to change their own oil and tires once they were old enough.
He loved to fish, starting when he was a boy out on the Cowlitz River, but instead of eating his trophies, he ended up giving them away. He enjoyed fixing up and driving classic cars and motorcycles and never missed a Cheese Days car show. His ’83 Honda Gold Wing was his mechanical baby, and he took his kids out on it many times over the years.
Brad is loved and missed terribly by his children, McKenna Brinson and Bryce Brinson; brothers, Brock (Dolly) Brinson, Linn (Marty) Boyd, and Gerald Boyd; sisters, Sandra (Dick) Bartley and Cathy Fournier; and numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family members.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Glenn and Sharon.
Visitation will be open to the public from 4 PM to 8 PM Thursday, November 18, and from 9 AM to 11 AM Saturday, November 20, at Fir Lawn Funeral Chapel, 351 N 5th Street in Toledo. A graveside service will begin at 11:30 AM at Lone Hill Cemetery in Toledo. There will be a reception following the graveside service at Toledo New Life Assembly, located at 420 Silver Street, with refreshments provided by Sorenson Trucking.
