JOHN SCOTT BRADEN

John Scott Braden died on January 4th, 2025, after a lengthy struggle with heart disease, complicated by Agent Orange exposure.

John was born on October 23, 1950, in Pratt, Kansas, the second son of Loren and Anne Braden.  His early passions in life, some that continued into adulthood, were riding horses, raising dogs, building model cars from kits, buying/driving “cool” vehicles, and swimming.

In August 1969, at the age of 18, John followed a family tradition, and entered military service as a Marine.  Within five months, John was deployed to Vietnam as a rifleman, assigned to the 1st Marine Division, stationed in Da Nang.  During his 12-month deployment, John was given increased leadership responsibility, progressing from Rifleman to Fire Team Leader to Squad Leader, moving up in rank from Private to Lance Corporal.  While in Vietnam, John participated in at least three named combat operations, and more than 190 combat patrols and ambushes, repeatedly distinguishing himself by his courage and composure during critical situations as he led his team against enemy positions.  After serving four years and attaining the rank of Sergeant, John was discharged from the Marines with honor.

In 1973 after leaving the military, John and his bride, Peggy (Willbanks) Braden, moved back to Kansas, where John transitioned to a civilian job with Gibson’s Discount Center as Assistant Manager in Great Bend.  Based on his leadership abilities, a year later, John was promoted to Manager of the Gibson’s Store in Clinton, Oklahoma.

After the birth of their son, Barry, John and Peggy moved back to Kansas in 1977, where John began his career as a police officer in Kingman.  By 1995, John attained the rank of Police Chief, serving his community faithfully 31 years until his retirement in 2008.

During his time in Kingman, John supported various community and veteran associations.  He was a proud member of Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 1164, and served in various membership positions.

John was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Peggy; and his older brother, Howard.  Surviving relatives include his son and daughter-in-law, Barry and Angela Braden; grandson and grand daughter-in-law, Devon and Kyleigh Braden; great-grandchildren, Calloway,  Sawyer and Annabelle; loving companion, Claudia Owens; sister and brother-in-law, Roma and Steve Jackson; sister-in-law, Jan Braden; sister and brother-in-law, Belinda and Tom Kerschen; brother and sister-in-law, Victor and Marla Braden; brother-in-law, Richard Willbanks; sister-in-law, Robin (Willbanks) Roth; sister-in-law, Rhonda (Willbanks) Weathers; maternal aunt, Rita Adams; maternal aunt, Linda Rupe; numerous nephews, nieces, and cousins; and many friends, all of whom will greatly miss John.

Memorial services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Friday, April 25, 2025 at the Livingston Funeral Home. The family suggests memorial be made to the Kingman County Humane Society.

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