Augustine Bradford “Brad” Conant III, 84, of Bedford, MA, died Friday, April 24, 2026, after a valiant six-year battle with liver cancer. Brad lived some of the best years of his life on borrowed time, far outlasting the predictions of his oncologists. Born May 17, 1941, Brad grew up in Chestnut Hill, MA and spent summers in Hillsboro, NH. He stayed close to home from primary school through college, graduating from the Park School in 1955, New Prep of Cambridge in 1959, and Babson College in 1963 with a degree in Financial Accounting.

Brad married Mary Faith Davidson Conant in 1966, and the couple proceeded to settle in Wayland, MA, where they raised their three daughters, Darcy, Elizabeth, and Missy. Brad relished his role as a “girl dad,” and was fully present and engaged as their father. He led nature hikes through conservation land, piloted endless waterskiing and tubing runs on China Lake, and happily shuttled the girls and their friends in his signature convertibles.

His career spanned many financial accounting roles at Caterpillar-Southworth Milton; R.H. Stearns; Long’s Jewelers, and culminated at Fidelity Investments. However, Brad was never one to be defined by his career; rather, he later flourished in his 20 years as a volunteer. In 2009 he earned the Sudbury Valley Trustees Morgan Volunteer Award and in 2022, he was awarded the Mass Audubon Jonathan Leavy Award for Outstanding Contributions to Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary.

Brad truly thrived in the twilight of his life. He was a proud grandfather, known as “PopPops” to his nine grandchildren. He loved sharing his hobbies with them, including walking the trails of Drumlin Farm and cruising on China Lake in his beloved Corson speedboat. He was an avid downhill skier into his eighties, and was in his element at Sugarloaf Mountain, where all three generations of Conants shared a ski condo for many years. PopPops loved skiing in all conditions and he was perfectly content trailing behind everyone on ski runs, taking in the mountain scenery and reveling in quality family time.

In 2020, Brad sold the family home in Wayland and moved to the retirement community Carlton-Willard Village in Bedford, MA. At Carlton-Willard, he made many wonderful friends and spent countless hours walking the network of nature trails behind his residence and in the surrounding towns. At the age of 81, he fulfilled a lifelong dream and bought himself a white Mustang convertible. He and his partner Cindy loved taking scenic drives with the top down in the Mustang, traveling to visit his brother Stuart on the North Shore, his grandkids’ sporting events, and favorite ice cream places. Life was pretty simple, but he was happy; it was all about relationships and spending time doing the things he loved with the people he loved.

Brad was predeceased by his wife of 53 years, Mary Faith Davidson Conant, his parents Augustine Bradford Conant Jr., and Marion Ireland Conant, and his brother John Stanton Conant. He is survived by his brother Stuart Conant and sister-in-law Cynthia of Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA; his daughter Darcy Bell and son-in-law Jeffrey Bell, of Dataw Island, SC, and grandchildren Ryan Heindel, Natalie Heindel, Heidi Heindel, Georgia Bell and Ruby Bell; daughter Elizabeth Conant of Framingham, MA and granddaughters Abigail Conant and Grace Conant; daughter Melissa Conant of Stow, MA and grandchildren Avery Lohin and Tucker Lohin, and his partner, Cynthia Anderson of Bedford, MA.

In his final days, Brad was incredibly touched by the number of people who took the time to visit and say goodbye. Brad’s family is grateful for the love and care Brad received from the wonderful staff at Carlton-Willard Village. His funeral and celebration of life will take place on Saturday, May 2, 2026 at 1:00pm at Saint Paul’s Church in Bedford, MA. A reception and celebration of his life will immediately follow the service. A private burial ceremony in Acton, MA will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in his honor can be made to Mass Audubon, Drumlin Farm Sanctuary: https://www.massaudubon.org/take-action/donate