John Bradley Tait

John Bradley Tait, age 73, passed away peacefully at his Phoenix home on Friday, June 9, 2017, surrounded by the love of his family. He was born January 23, 1944 in Fargo, North Dakota, the son of the late Harold & Barbara (Schonberg) Tait. He was known by most as Brad, but was fondly referred to as “Braddy T” by his 1962 graduating class at Fargo South High School. He continued his education at Parsons College in Fairfield, Iowa where he played tennis on scholarship, but used the money he saved on tuition to pay for his time at what he considered the original “Animal House,” Sigma Phi Epsilon. Brads summers in college were spent working for his fathers company, Fargo Glass & Paint, to pay for a string of broken dorms and hearts. He also served in the Army National Guard during his time in Iowa, until his graduation in 1966. Wanting to share his love of college, Brad took a position as a recruiter for Parsons, where he travelled extensively throughout the upper Midwest. It was on one of these trips that he met a brown-eyed brunette, Sandra Nelson, on the dunes of Lake Michigan. Brad and Sandy were united in marriage on January 7, 1967 in Hammond, Indiana, and celebrated their golden anniversary this year. Young and charismatic, Brad was an obvious choice to rejoin the family business in Fargo, where he found great success. With two young children, Brad and Sandy soon moved the family to open a new flagship store for the company, Sioux Falls Paint & Glass, in 1970. He finished his career as an agent for Northwestern Mutual, retiring in 1991. Brad and Sandy moved to Phoenix shortly after, but his heart remained in South Dakota as evidenced by his unwillingness to change his registration with the DMV. Quick to point out that “It isnt bragging if its true,” he was a natural athlete that excelled in basketball and tennis. A scratch golfer, he also won many tournaments over the years. Somehow, he was always able to tie the great lessons of life back to sports; quitting isnt an option, the Patriots are cheaters, and Dallas is Americas team. Brads true hobby was asking trivia questions to new acquaintances, stumping them with his vast knowledge of the obscure and unnecessary. His parenting style encouraged self-reliance and fortitude. Shortly after Sandy left for a weekend getaway, Brad and their four kids could be found in a McDonalds drive through ordering one-hundred cheeseburgers to be frozen and consumed when needed. Brad had a tremendous love for both nature and animals. He planted countless trees in his life, but was most proud of the weeping willows that lined and swept the driveway of the house he built for his family in Pine Lake Hills, South Dakota in 1974. From childhood to his death, he was rarely without a dog by his side. Any time spent with him would almost always involve conversation about Whoopie, or later, Callie, and the adventures they went on. Callie was even snuck up to his hospital bedside because everyone knew it would aid in his recovery. His passion for animals didnt stop at his pet dogs as he would feed animals wherever he went. When visiting his firstborn grandson, he baited the wildlife in the yard to the extent that long after he left, the opossum and raccoons would return to the yard and often peer through the slider doors wondering where the good food went. He spent much of his later years relaxing in his backyard oasis and feeding the local quail, bunnies and birds. His family is convinced that the raccoons followed him from Michigan because they have been sighted in the hot landscape of his Arizona backyard. In 2006, a debilitating stroke limited Brads movement, but his humor and grit remained unscathed. He was undaunted by the effects of cancer several years later, and found strength from his stroke support group, cardiac rehab friends, and his unrelenting medical team that blessed him with more years here than could be expected. His family will deeply miss his devious smile, quick wit, and abiding love. Brad is survived by his wife, Sandy Tait of Phoenix; four children and their spouses, Brian Tait of Klamath Falls, Oregon, Stacey & Doug Goodale of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Chris & Kerith Tait of Madison, Wisconsin, Lainey & Mark Ransford of Caro, Michigan; thirteen grandchildren, Autumn, Maura, Holly, Mayah, Avree, Erin, Ava, Brooke, Lindsey, Julia, Ethan, Cameron, and Jackson; two siblings, Roberta Lovell and Craig Tait. A private family memorial will be held in Sioux Falls later this summer. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you plant a tree or perform a random act of kindness in Brads memory.