Rochester - Father Alexander H. Bradshaw, a former British barrister who logged 40 years as a priest of the Diocese of Rochester, died Dec. 12, 2025, in Gainesville, Fla., after a long illness. He was 84 years old.

"He brought to his priestly ministry a rich set of skills and personal experience," said Father Peter Clifford, pastor of Fairport's St. John of Rochester Parish, where Father Bradshaw resided as a senior priest. "And, combined with a very caring heart, he touched people in multiple ways, in so many powerful ways."

Born in Egypt, Father Bradshaw was the son of a British diplomat. He grew up in Great Britain and eventually became a citizen of the United States. He prepared for his law career in England and was admitted to the English Bar in 1965. He arrived in Rochester in 1975 and joined the law firm Nixon, Hargrave, Devans & Doyle and became a parishioner at Brighton's St. Thomas More Church.

He married and had two daughters. Following annulment of the marriage, he began pursuing in earnest a call to the priesthood he had sensed earlier in life. He attended the former St. Bernard's Seminary from 1980-81 and received a bachelor of sacred theology degree in 1983 from the Gregorian University in Rome.

Father Bradshaw was ordained June 22, 1985, by Bishop Matthew H. Clark at Brockport's Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 1986, he received a licentiate in Scripture from the Gregorian University.

He received his first parish assignment in 1986 and served for three years as assisting priest at St. John of Rochester. In 1989, he began his first pastorate, logging 11 years at the former Holy Ghost Church in Gates. Another lengthy pastorate followed at Greece's Our Mother of Sorrows Church, where he served for 12 years. He reached senior status in 2012, returning to live at St. John of Rochester.

Father Clifford acknowledged that the polished manner from Father Bradshaw's courtroom years combined with his distinctive British accent made for many riveting homilies — recited mostly from memory.

"I often felt as though I was sitting in front of a jurist making his final appeal to a jury," Father Clifford said with a laugh.

"He could read the telephone book, and people would be enthralled by that accent and rich, deep voice," added Father Gary Tyman, a longtime friend of Father Bradshaw's who serves as pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in Brighton and St. Anne in Rochester.

Father Clifford noted that Father Bradshaw's affable, caring nature endeared him to longtime friends as well as "others who had only known him from a brief encounter." Many reached out to express their appreciation during his illness.

"Friendship was very important to him," Father Tyman said. "He valued his many friends and worked to maintain and deepen those relationships. As a friend he was loving, humble, loyal, generous and compassionate."

In a 2012 interview with the Catholic Courier, Father Bradshaw commented on his close connections with the faithful: "The beautiful thing about being a priest is the privileged access you have in people's lives, the trust that is given to you, the affection with which you are held."

Father Clifford said Father Bradshaw was diagnosed with leukemia just after Christmas a year ago, soon afterward entering hospice care in the Rochester area. He rallied, however, and moved back to St. John of Rochester, where he returned this summer to saying Mass regularly. Yet while visiting family in Florida at Thanksgiving, he fell ill again, once again entering hospice care.

He is survived by his daughters, Laura and Caroline; brothers, Richard and Dominic; sister, Gillian Crawford; seven grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.

Visitation will take place Dec. 21, 2025, from 2 to 4 p.m., followed by a vigil service at 4:30 p.m., at St. John of Rochester Church, 8 Wickford Way, Fairport.

Visitation will again take place at St. John of Rochester at 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 22, 2025, followed by a funeral Mass at 11 a.m. Bishop Salvatore R. Matano will preside at both the vigil service and the Mass. Both services can be viewed via livestream at https://stjohnfairport.org/streaming. Interment will be in the priests' section of Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.