It is with great sadness that I inform you my beloved husband, Bradley Andrew Claeys, passed away peacefully in our home on Jan. 27, 2025, after a brief illness. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Sally Claeys, and extended family in other parts of the country.

Born Aug. 2, 1954, into a farm family of eight in Southwest Minnesota, it was there that he learned the value of hard work, perseverance and humility.

As a teenager in high school, he chose to major in accounting and upon graduating, was voted Best Dressed. (His colleagues at the Lexington Golf & Country Club can attest that he has continued this tradition.) He worked his way through and graduated with an accounting degree from Southwest State College in Marshall, Minn. He was the first in his family to attend college.

While working, he studied further for the certified public accountant exam and joined Boyum & Barensheer as an auditor in their regional accounting firm in Minneapolis. It was at this time when I first met Brad, who then tutored me through my tax accounting class in law school. I married him six months later.

During his B&B time, he specialized in the acquisition, mergers, and taxation of local community banks. He toiled and persevered for 20 years amid considerable stress, work hours, and pressure to perform toward becoming a partner in the firm. During that time, he also became a dedicated member of a 12-step recovery program, and we built our lives around this prayer: God grant me the serenity to ACCEPT the things I cannot change, the COURAGE to change the things I can, and the WISDOM to know the difference.

In 2002, Brad was invited to be an audit partner in the firm. However, we decided to relocate to seek a lifestyle change. The B&B Accounting Firm did not want to lose Brad and his vast experience, so they agreed to allow Brad to work remotely – which in this firm, had never been done before. He remained working remotely for the Minnesota firm and finished 42 years before his retirement in 2023.

Having visited the Rockbridge area several times, we chose to make Lexington our destination and arrived in late 2003. Brad thrived in this wonderful small community of Lexington in the Shenandoah Valley. Living adjacent to the country club, Brad could walk out our back yard to the clubhouse and play golf frequently.

Early on, Brad met David Grist, a prominent and respected banker in the community. It was David’s goal to start a community bank organized and directed by local community leaders. Brad was thrilled to have the opportunity to use his community banking experience and joined David Grist in this new venture. After two years of preparation and fundraising, CornerStone Bank opened in February 2009 amid a period of financial crisis in the U.S. economy. CornerStone was the last bank to receive its FDIC certification, which was not given out again for several years.

For the last 14 years Brad has remained an integral part of CornerStone as a founding shareholder, member of the board of directors, audit and tax adviser. He considered CornerStone Bank to be his crowning life achievement and was proud to be of service to the community.

In addition to the bank work, he continued working as a certified public accountant providing financial advice to over 150 local individuals and businesses through the Swisher & Johnson Firm. He continued to meet them personally to discuss their financial situation and tax needs.

We would especially like to thank Terry Swisher, Jay Melvin, Tom Textor, Everett Gilbert, and Hospice for their support through Brad’s untimely resignation and transition.

In keeping with Brad’s wishes, no services are planned. However, we have been gifted with a special Mass to be held March 2, at 5 p.m. at St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Lexington. We also hope to arrange for live streaming of the Mass for those unable to attend. As an expression of sympathy, we hope you will donate to ConnectionsPlus Healthcare + Hospice.

Goodnight sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest. Sally Claeys

NG