Merrill K. Bradshaw passed away July 12, 2000 at Lakeview Hospital, Bountiful, UT. Born June 18, 1929 in Lyman, WY to Melvin K. and Lorene Hamblin Bradshaw. Married Janet Spilsbury, in the Salt Lake Temple, September 20, 1954.
Merrill has had a long and distinguished career as Composer-in-Residence and as John R. Halliday Professor of Music at Brigham Young University. He served as a member of the faculty for 37 years, retiring in 1994. During that time, he composed over two hundred musical works, ranging from simple piano pieces and songs to symphonies and concertos to oratorios and pageants. His best known work is The Restoration. His works have been performed by many regional, national and international symphonies and choirs, including the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
At BYU he garnered many teaching and research honors. He was one of the first recipients of the Karl G. Maeser Research and Creativity Award and was the Distinguished Faculty Lecturer in 1981. He won a commission to do a choral-orchestral work, Christ Metaphors, for the Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research in Minneapolis. He chaired the Faculty General Education Council for two years and twice was honored to address the BYU Forum Assembly. He has also written books, articles, and reviews that have been widely published and quoted. He had just completed work on a book entitled, The Creative Mind.
In the last years of his career, and during his retirement, Merrill fostered others’ musical work on the national level. He was directly involved with the chartering of the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition. He was a member of its Board of Directors, serving as Executive Director until this year and directing the Barlow International Competitions. He was recently named to the Board of Directors of the American Composer’s Forum, helping determine that national organization’s direction and future growth.
In community service he was one of the founders of the Arts Council of Central Utah and assisted with the State Institute of the Arts. He occasionally wrote a music column and reviewed concerts for the Provo Daily Herald; he served on the Provo City Arts Board. In LDS Church callings he served in the Swiss-Austrian mission from 1949-52. He was a bishop, scoutmaster, high councilor, member of the Church Music Department, Gospel Doctrine teacher in several Sunday Schools, and, of course, member of ward choirs and music committees all his life. Recently he was called as an ordinance worker in the St. George, Utah temple.
Survivors include his wife, Janet; seven children, Karen (Cory) Maxwell, Tracy (Scot) Johnson, Brian (Kristine) Bradshaw, Keith (Tracey) Bradshaw, Marie (Jeff) Durrant, Charles (Jennifer) Bradshaw, Daniel (Emily) Bradshaw; 26 grandchildren; mother; and sister, Shannon Holmgren. Preceded in death by his father; and his brother, Richard.
He always counted his family as his most important accomplishment and devoted considerable time to them. All seven children married in LDS temples. He is the father of four Eagle Scouts, and six returned missionaries. We will miss his tomato gardening, family camping trips, sourdough pancakes, chocolate sauce, crossword puzzles, and passion for knowledge in all its varieties.
The funeral will be 11 a.m. Tues. July 18, at the Edgemont 7th Ward chapel, 555 E. 3230 N., Provo. Friends may call 6-8 p.m. Mon. at Berg Mortuary, Provo, and one hour prior to services at the church. Burial, East Lawn Memorial.