Russell Adelia Bradford Guerry

Russell Adelia Bradford Guerry died peacefully at her home in Norfolk, Virginia, on July 6, 2026, at the age of 93. A beloved presence in the Norfolk community, she was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. She was affectionately known as “Russ” to her friends, “Muttie” to her children, “Nana” to her grandson, and “Rusty” to her husband of 61 years.

Born in Nansemond County in November 1932, she was the younger daughter of Russell T. Bradford, a Norfolk lawyer, and Jennie Willis Atkinson Bradford. Russ grew up along the Nansemond River with her devoted older sister, Jennie Lee, on her family’s farm, known as Town Point. She was her father’s “Little Bud,” and he taught her to ride, shoot, and fish.

At the age of 16, Russ entered Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, where she was captain of the basketball team. After graduating in 1953 with a degree in political science, she set off on a road trip through the West with her best friends, Jean Oast and Mary McHenry Wade. Later that year, following the loss of her beloved mother, she returned to Town Point to help her father and to teach civics at Churchland High School in Suffolk, Virginia.

In 1954, she married William Moultrie Guerry. Together, they raised two children and shared 61 years of marriage. Russ led an active life and became a pillar of the Norfolk community. A fierce competitor on the tennis court, she continued playing well into her 80s. She was also a longtime member of the Norfolk Yacht and Country Club, the Garden Club of Norfolk, Princess Anne Country Club, the Junior League of Norfolk, and the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd.

Russ was predeceased by her husband, William Moultrie Guerry, and her sister, Jennie Lee Daley. She is survived by her children, Lee Bradford Guerry and William Moultrie Guerry Jr.; her grandson, William Alexander Guerry; her daughter-in-law, Samantha Semerad Guerry; her son-in-law, Witney Wright Schneidman; her step grandchildren, Samuel Wright Schneidman and Elspeth Megargee Schneidman; her niece, Louisa Daley Winthrop, and her husband, Jay Winthrop; and her nephew, Russell Bradford Daley.

A funeral service was held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, July 24, at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, 7400 Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia. Her graveside funeral service will be held Tuesday, November 24, 2026 in St. Philip's Churchyard, 142 Church St, Charleston, SC 29401 at 11:00 am.

In lieu of flowers, please donate in her name to The Hermitage Museum & Gardens, Attn: Melissa Ball, 7637 North Shore Rd, Norfolk, VA 23505.