J. Bradford Horsey, 71

DENTON, Md. - J. Bradford Horsey of Denton died Tuesday, April 17, 2007, in Caroline Home for Hospice in Denton. He was 71.

Born in Denton, Mr. Horsey was the son of the late Daniel Ralph Horsey and Mary Shawn Horsey.

Mr. Horsey had served in the Maryland National Guard during the 1950s until the early 1960s.

Starting in 1952, he began working at Fleetwood Hardware in Denton, which became Adams and Wright Hardware. In 1980, it became known as Denton Hardware when he became the owner and operator, until he retired in June 2000.

He had also served as a District Court commissioner in Caroline County for 21 years.

Mr. Horsey was a life member of the Denton Volunteer Fire Co. In March 2007 he was honored by the fire company for 50 years of service. He was an active firefighter for 40 years and served as president twice.

He was chief for three years as well as having been on the Denton Ambulance Squad for many years. He had held every other office in the fire company. In addition, he was a past president of Caroline County Volunteer Firemen"s Association and is in the Caroline County Firemen"s Hall of Fame.

Mr. Horsey was elected to the Denton town commissioners twice, first in the late 1960s and then in 2000, taking office in 2001 and serving as mayor from 2004 to 2005.

He was past board member of the Denton Downtown Development Corp. and was also a member of the Caroline County Economic Development Corp. He was a member of Temple Lodge 128 AF & AM in Denton and was a Worshipful Master in 1971 and was a past treasurer.

He was a member of the Boumi Temple in Baltimore and was past president of the Eastern Shore Shrine Club. He also belonged to the Lower Delaware Shrine Club and the O.C. Shrine Club.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers, William H. Horsey and Daniel R. Horsey Jr.

Mr. Horsey is survived by his wife, Mary Ann Horsey of Denton; two daughters, Kathleen H. Davis and her husband, Donald of Cordova and Amy Elizabeth Stitcher and her husband, John of Delmar; one brother, Robert R. Horsey and his wife, Donna of Hebron; one sister, Mary Lou Brittingham of Columbia; and one grandson, Gareth Bradford Davis of Cordova.

Visitation with the family will be held from 6-9 p.m. Friday at Moore Funeral Home, P.A., 12 S. Second St. in Denton. A memorial service and Masonic service will be at 7 p.m. Saturday at the St. Luke"s United Methodist Church on Fifth Avenue in Denton, where friends may call one hour prior the service.

Interment will be private.

The family requests that, instead of flowers, memorial donations are sent to the Shriner Hospitals for Children, Donations Dept., 2900 Rocky Point Drive, Tampa, FL 23607; St Luke"s United Methodist Church, PO Box 66, Denton, MD 21629; Denton Volunteer Fire Co., C/O Barbara Manley, 1136 Lupine Lane, Denton, MD 21629; or to the Caroline Hospice Foundation, PO Box 362, Denton, MD 21629.