Bradley Stephen Bessant O.D.'s Obituary
Bradley S. Bessant, 63, of Seffner, Florida, passed away in Brandon, FL on April 30th, 2025. Born in Plant City on April 5, 1962, Brad was preceded in death by his parents, Marian Jane Dugger Bessant and Leonard Stephen Bessant; he is survived by his wife Mary Pacheco, his two four-legged children Emily and Virgil, his brother Leslie and sister-in-law Ruth, and by his brother-in-law John Pacheco, sister-in-law Tammy and nephew John Michael.
Brad crammed two lifetimes worth of interests into his short time on earth. He played trumpet in the Plant City High School marching band, concert band, and jazz band. He took up scuba diving while he attended the University of Florida, and he met his wife Mary while working in the university neuroscience labs. He went on to become an optometrist, studying at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, and then doing his residency in pediatric optometry at the University of Alabama - Birmingham. While in Birmingham, he learned to fly and earned his private pilot license.
After completing his residency, Brad and Mary returned to Seffner, Florida, and Brad began an optometric practice in the Tampa Bay area that spanned thirty years. Settled but not sedentary, Brad took up flying radio-controlled model aircraft, woodworking, barbeque/grilling and astronomical photography. Brad’s greatest joys came from his hobbies and spending time with family and friends including all his dogs (Gromit, Sophie, Jackson, and Stella) over the years. He especially liked going to Disney with Mary and the dogs for relaxation and fun.
While Brad always had something going with one or more of his hobbies, he always had time to help his friends and neighbors. He loved his optometry patients, and always told them, "Just call me Brad."
A celebration of life gathering and service will be held on Saturday, May 31st, 2025, at Sunset Memory Gardens, 11005 N US Highway 301, Thonotosassa, FL 33592. In lieu of flowers, please make memorial contributions to Dogs Inc (Home). https://dogsinc.org/
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