John A. Braidwood

June 17, 1944 - February 23, 2022

John Alexander Braidwood, 77, passed away unexpectedly on February 23 surrounded by his loving family. Born in Detroit, MI on June 17, 1944, he was the son of the late Clinton Alexander and Helen (Guillaume) Braidwood. He is survived by the love of his life, his two sons, Chad and Clinton Braidwood and their beautiful wives Kaitlin and Barbara respectively. He is also survived by the mother of his children, Susan Braidwood; his partner Valerie Murray; his two sisters Ann Lesser, Susan Rademacher and his sweet loving grandchildren, Sophia (10), Griffin (9), Isla (7), Mira (5) and Declan (3). John was raised in Niskayuna, NY and spent his childhood on Algonquin Road where he made lifelong friends. He graduated from Niskayuna High School in 1963 and attended Parsons College in Fairfield, Iowa where he graduated with a BA in Psychology in 1968. In college, John was a member of the Rum and Chowder Society. After college he worked for 3M company and later Key Bank where he started his lifelong career as an exceptional salesperson, motivator, and people connector. John had a strong passion for his alma mater, Parsons College. He was actively involved in the Alumni Association and was celebrated for his dedication by receiving the Spirit Award on Oct. 7th, 2017 followed by induction into the Parsons Wall of Honor on Oct., 6th, 2018. John was an exceptional mentor to many. He would be the first to take someone who needed help under his wing to offer guidance and support. His giving spirit reached out to local organizations such as Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Southern Adirondacks in which he was not only a board member, but a Big Brother. He loved spending time with Austin Montero (15) whom he mentored since 2014. His love of children also reached across the world as he sponsored many less fortunate children in Africa through the Hearth to Hearth Ministry throughout the years. He was very proud of his sons business “Saratoga Olive Oil Company”. John was a strong support over the years offering his time as the gregarious greeter at the Saratoga Springs store in which he was affectionally known as “Johnny B”. Many people throughout the Capital region surely received his business card as he would open the conversation with, “So, do you like olive oil and balsamic vinegar?”. His most recent endeavor was being the President of the Hickory Legacy Foundation, Warrensburg, N.Y. As a young father, John loved to spend every weekend during the winter, piling his boys and their friends into the car for a day of skiing at Hickory Hill. The cherished memories that he and his son, Clint, shared have fueled their passion to work on re-opening the ski area. They recently have spent quality time together working to achieve this goal driven by the hopes that other children and their families would also have the opportunity for an idyllic ski experience. John had a true passion for classic cars. He so enjoyed buying, fixing them up and selling cars. He loved to take his vehicles to car shows and was awarded trophies along the way. His favorite was his prized yellow Willys Overland Jeepster. In recent years, he could be seen zipping around town in his 1993 red Porsche 911 Carrera. John lived in the Hiland Crossings community in Queensbury. He was President of the HOA and was lovingly referred to as “the Mayor of Meldon Circle”. Prior to moving back to the area, John lived for several years in Traverse City, Michigan where he enjoyed sailing in East Bay on Lake Michigan. A huge history buff, John enjoyed reading about the Civil War era and enjoyed telling stories about various historical landmarks in the area. He also had a fondness for researching his family tree and ancestral roots. John touched so many hearts with both his love of humanity and his incredible sense of humor. His favorite saying, which we are sure he would use to sum up his life, is “It was more fun than it should be”. Please join the family on Friday, March 4th at 4-6PM at Regan Denny Stafford Funeral Home on 53 Quaker in Queensbury. There will be no church service at this time. On, or about, June 17th, the family will have a celebration of his life at Hickory Hill in Warrensburg NY. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Hickory Legacy Foundation via the Go Fund Me link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-memory-of-john-braidwood