Bradford Crandell

Bradford E. Crandell 63, of The Woodlands, TX passed away peacefully at home on Saturday August 8th, 2026, with hospice care after a 3-year battle with metastatic Cholangiocarcinoma. Brad was the oldest of three children born to Carolyn and Merrell (Del) Crandell. He was born in Syracuse, NY and moved to New Concord, OH at a young age where he grew up with his younger brother Donald (Don). His sister Elisabeth and both of his parents preceded him in death. He was also preceded in death by his maternal aunt Elisabeth (Betsy) Graves, his maternal grandparents Josephine and William Bradford Graves and his paternal grandparents Lawrence and Clara Crandell, and their son/paternal uncle John Edwin Crandell. Marjorie Hildebrand, his mother-in-law also preceded him in death. Brad is survived by his loving wife, Lisa of 41 years and their daughters Megan Crandell Fisher and Allison M. Berry. He is also survived by his sons-in-law, Shaun Fisher and Seth Berry and his cherished 4 grandchildren: granddaughter Ashton Berry, grandson Silas Fisher, granddaughter Laiken Berry and granddaughter Emerson Fisher. Brad loved and cared for his family unconditionally and they were the center of his life. He is also survived by his younger brother Donald (Don) Crandell (sister-in-law Jean), niece Ciara Garland-Forshee (her husband Nathan, great niece Brielle and great nephew Quinn), and niece Sabrina Garland. He is also survived by paternal Uncle David (Dave) Crandell (Aunt Jean preceded Brad in death) cousin Robert “Robbie” Crandell, Uncle Larry Crandell (Aunt Carol) and cousins Laurie, Larry Jr, Pam and Uncle James (Jim) Crandell (Aunt Karen) and his Aunt Lois Collins (Uncle Chris preceded Brad in death) and cousin, Jason Collins. Brad graduated in 1981 from John Glenn High School in New Concord, OH where he ran track/field and cross country and enjoyed other youth sports. He participated in AFS, studied in Australia and had very fond memories of his host family. He grew up as an avid fan of Ohio State University football, and he continued that unending dedication throughout his life. Lisa and he were able to attend the Big 10 Championship game in 2017 that OSU won in Indianapolis and that brought them great joy. They were also thrilled when OSU won the 2014 and 2024 National Championship title games in January of 2015 and 2025. Brad followed all OSU sports and cheered for them each season. Brad also enjoyed reading, traveling, hiking and photography as well as editing all our family trip photos along the way so he could chronicle our life together. Brad and Lisa met in 1982 at DePauw University in Greencastle, IN. They dated for 3 years before marrying in June,1985 at his family church, St. John’s Episcopal church in Cambridge, OH. Brad began a 25-year plus career with Hewitt Associates in Lincolnshire, IL in 1985 where he accepted his first position, after graduating from DePauw in May. Brad and Lisa enjoyed traveling together, visiting family and friends, and attending sporting events in Chicago as a young married couple. They made their first home in Wheeling, IL where they began making new friends in the area and in the Hewitt Associates community. Brad accepted a new Hewitt position in 1986 that relocated them to Atlanta, GA. Brad became partner with Hewitt in the 1990s and he enjoyed working with his highly valued team. His team members were welcomed into our home for get-togethers and holiday gatherings that he and Lisa enjoyed hosting each year before and after starting their family. They were blessed with 2 precious, beautiful daughters, Megan and Allison in the late 1980s and early 1990s. We enjoyed watching them grow, supporting them in their academic and extra-curricular activities and seeing them blossom into wonderfully loving strong and resilient young women, wives and mothers. Brad enjoyed attending interactive field trips with both girls and volunteering in their schools. We enjoyed many summer road van trips with the girls to Kiawah Island and Hilton Head Island, as well as to Ohio to visit family and we were able to attend several elaborate and outstanding Hewitt family trips with Brad as well. Brad was best known for his contagious smile, which put people at ease and reflected the goodness he brought to both his personal and professional life. He enjoyed being around others and valued his work as a consultant with Hewitt, remembering the people he met and the time they shared with great fondness. Brad remained with Hewitt and later relocated again, this time to Orlando, FL, after a promotion to oversee call center operations. Brad became interested in Junior Achievement in Orlando and was an active member helping to grow those important programs in area schools including our girls’ elementary and middle schools. We raised our daughters in Atlanta and continued doing so in the Orlando area, where both girls graduated from Winter Springs High School before attending and graduating from colleges in other states. In 2011, Brad and Lisa moved to Memphis, where Brad worked in human resources at ServiceMaster. He learned from exceptional colleagues, including his boss, “Jed,” and many others, and they loved their four years there. Brad later embraced another change, moving to Salt Lake City, UT, for what he called “a new adventure.” He and Lisa relocated there, met welcoming neighbors and lasting friends, and Brad continued to grow professionally at Vista Outdoor while remaining the same down-to-earth small-town guy with big ideas and a grin on his face. They enjoyed their years in the Salt Lake City area and carried with them many lasting connections. In 2022, Brad and Lisa moved to Texas to be closer to family while he continued working remotely with Vista Outdoor. Brad transitioned into retirement at the end of 2023-beginning of 2024 in order to focus solely on his health and family. Brad faced the hardest challenge of his life when diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) in June of 2023. After a successful liver transplant in July of 2023, he began preventative chemotherapy in hopes of keeping the cancer from returning. We committed to and promised as a couple and a team to take the best care possible of this amazing gift given to him and to our family. Unfortunately, in the Fall of 2024, his cancer returned. We discussed his options with various medical team professionals, and he decided to accept life extending options without defined goals. Brad was able to meet our first two adorable grandchildren right after they were born, to know them, to love them and to watch them continue to grow. We will be forever thankful to his anonymous organ donor, to the Houston Methodist liver transplant team and to his Houston Oncology Partners medical oncology team for their guidance and expertise that provided us with the additional time with Brad. He loved his family unconditionally and he delighted most in spending time with them. Brad navigated CCA with strength, faith, hope and determination. We were able to travel to visit family in CA, AZ and TX and to explore Acadia National Park in Maine, to visit Pike’s Peak in Colorado and to tour some of the Grand Canyon together as a couple. We enjoyed more time together along the way at the beach in TX, at home, with friends and with family. In 2026, Brad tried an alternative approach to CCA and completed an available palliative treatment option from January through April of 2026 and accepted and completed some needed palliative radiation. He was able to see the sweet new faces of each of our two youngest granddaughters and to witness the hope and the light in their eyes and to rejoice in their safe, early arrivals. We felt very blessed and graced by those two newest beautiful lives. Brad found all four of our precious grandchildren to be his daily inspiration before and after they were born. Brad was a loving, kind, funny friend, son, nephew, brother, husband, father, father-in-law and adoring and devoted grandfather which was his greatest joy. “Bop” will be deeply missed, and his memory will live on in the lives of his family and friends who knew and loved him. We thank all his many dedicated and compassionate health care professionals who were entrusted with his thorough, navigational and diligent care: The Houston Methodist Hospital the Woodlands ER care team and staff and their inpatient care team, the Houston Methodist Medical Center ER care team and the JC Walter Jr Transplant Center team, the Neal cancer center research team, the liver transplant surgeons, the surgical nurses/staff, the liver transplant ICU care team, the medical oncology physician with Houston Oncology Partners and his staff and care team, and the Hepatology, Nephrology, Endocrinology and Palliative Care teams including all of the doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, nursing assistants, dietitians, social workers, discharge planners, chaplains, PT/OT care teams, PT wound care team, the scan technicians, the transport team members and the housekeeping staff/maintenance team members at Houston Methodist Medical Center and in the Woodlands, at Houston Methodist JC Walter Jr. Transplant Center, Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center at Texas Medical Center and at Houston Methodist the Woodlands Radiation Oncology group as well as the Houston Methodist the Woodlands infusion center team all of whom helped care for Brad for over 3 years. We will remember you all. We also thank our Harbor Hospice team in Conroe for their compassionate and kind care of Brad at home so he could pass with peace, dignity and without pain. We appreciate every one of you. Brad, Lisa and his family valued your end-of-life care and loving presence in our lives. Addison Funeral Home in Spring and in Magnolia provided after care and cremation. We thank them all for their dignity and compassion. In Lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Houston Food Bank on their website: www.houstonfoodbank.org or donate to another food bank in your area in Brad’s name in honor of his generous and giving spirit. Also, please thoughtfully consider becoming an organ donor so that others are given a second chance in life. Brad’s Celebration of Life will be on Saturday September 12, 2026, at 10 am at Trinity Episcopal Church in The Woodlands, TX. You can also join via livestream at www.trinitywoodlands.org as he had many distant friends and family.

Bradford Crandell

May 23, 1963 - August 8, 2026