This is one in four of Utah Valley Magazine’s “Happy Couples” series.
Once Upon a Time
They are successful entrepreneurs, they hold doctorate degrees, they are parents to four, grandparents to 16 and friends to hundreds — but the titles David and Linda Bradford hold most dear are “husband” and “wife.”
“We balance each other out,” Linda says. “When I’m spending a lot of time at work, David will say, ‘You’ve worked enough, come sit down with me.’ He likes to take me away so we can do something together.”
[pullquote]”There will be bumps in the road, no matter who you are, because you’re two people melding into one. So choose to build each other up!” —David and Linda Bradford[/pullquote]
They attribute their blissful marriage to their respect for each other and common values. Politically, religiously and educationally their values align. Throw that in with a mutual love of the arts and an eagerness to travel, and they’ve written their own to-do list that leads to a happy life.
Happy Home
In 1991, David surprised Linda by purchasing the lot where their Provo home now sits. Linda drew up the designs and 13 months later, their vision for a home came to life. They have since opened their place to members of the Utah Valley Symphony, Steve Young, Steve Wozniak, local celebrities and politicians. But their favorite part of their home isn’t the people who come through — it’s the symbolism inside.
“We didn’t really think about it at first, but we have six pillars in our front room, and we say it’s the six pillars of our family,” David says. “It’s Linda and me and our four children.”
“But now we have 16 grandchildren,” says Linda. “We need a lot more pillars.”