Bradford James Brown

Bradford James Brown (59), an exceptional man of integrity and faith, passed away on February 20, 2025 at Ririe Reservoir near Rexburg, Idaho.

Brad grew up on the family farm in Anchorville, Michigan where his love for the outdoors began with collecting bugs, riding horses, hunting and fishing. An early marker of his entrepreneurial spirit, Brad began investing in the stock market at age 12 and spent hours discussing business with his role models: his father, his uncles and aunt, and Grandpa Cecil. He played the tuba and the baritone in the marching and pep bands in high school, which allowed him to attend college on a music scholarship and to play in the symphony orchestra. As a young man, he apprenticed as a machinist and die maker at various tool and die shops, gaining relevant skills in the engineering field.

A devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Brad served as a full-time missionary in the Tempe/Mesa, Arizona Mission from 1983-85. To earn money after his mission, Brad built and sold PC clone computers out of his dorm room and managed the computer software systems for the Ricks College Library. Brad met Shannon in a family home evening group at Ricks College in the fall of 1987, and they were married in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple on August 12, 1988.

Growing up flying with his father sparked Brad’s life-long passion for aviation. He and Shannon earned their pilot’s licenses together through the UVU flight school in 1995 and went on to own several aircraft over the years. Although a man of many interests, he excelled in everything he chose to do. Whether it be photography, stamp collecting, boating, genealogy, hunting, fishing, or aviation, he gave his whole heart and soul to each endeavor.

Brad graduated from BYU Provo in 1991 with a Mechanical Engineering degree and started working as a Sales Engineer for a local company. Two years later, he and Dan Ellertson co-founded Precision Cable Company, which later became ATL Technology. He spent 20 years traveling regularly to Asia for business. In 2002, he became CEO of ATL and grew the company into a global medical technology leader with offices in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Ireland, Finland, Costa Rica, Wales and the United States.

Continually generous with his time and resources, Brad served on numerous boards of directors including The Gail S. Halverson Foundation, American Indian Services, Green Seed, Thor, Spanish Fork Airport, NeoNatal Rescue, Biotech Utah, and was a member of the Advancement Counsel for Engineering and Technology at BYU. Demonstrating his commitment to the engineering and medtech community, he helped to raise the funds for new buildings at BYU, UVU, and University of Utah. He was recognized for his continued support to the Utah County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue, as well as BioUtah’s Executive of the Year 2024.

In all of his achievements, he trusted God to guide his life and decisions. Ever faithful to God’s principles, the Spirit was his devoted companion through life. He never boasted, but gave credit to God for guiding his way. To those who attribute him to be a visionary, he would contend God was the visionary–he simply followed Him.

In the end, those who knew him will remember his capacity for caring and ability to envelope people into his world. As in everything he did, he gave his whole heart to those who needed him. Perhaps the truest testament to the magnitude of his character is that he did not stay stagnant but worked diligently to improve each day for those he loved. Life will not be the same without his presence, but his legacy and spirit will live on in his family and in the lives of each person that he touched.

Brad is survived by his wife of 37 years, Shannon, and their six children: Robert (Katie) Brown, Allison (Jason) Elmont, Ashley Amelia (Aaron) Painter, Joshua Brown, Adrianna Brown, Abigail Brown; his grandchildren, Evalynn and Nicholas Elmont; his siblings Scott, Sarah, and Ann; and his mother Carol Halbert Brown. He is preceded in death by his father, James Brown.

We invite you to share your memories of Brad and to upload photos to his memorial page at nelsonmortuary.com/obituaries/bradford-brown. We will gather to celebrate his life with a closed casket viewing March 14th at the Provo YSA Multi-Stake Building located at 352 N. 900 E., Provo, Utah from 5-8 PM. The funeral will be held the following day, March 15, at the same location at 10:30 AM MDT.