MOCKSVILLE, N.C. (Jan. 5, 2017) — Bradley E. Ragan Jr., owner of BR Retreading and RDH Tire & Retread Co., died Jan. 1 at age 70.
Mr. Ragan grew up in the tire industry, working for his father Bradley E. Ragan Sr.
Owner/operator of Carolina Tire in the 1970s, he took over for his father at Brad Ragan Inc. in 1979 as chairman and CEO.
Goodyear bought controlling interest in Brad Ragan Inc. in 1985 and became sole owner in 1999. In 2001 the Akron tire maker phased out the Brad Ragan name by either selling those stores or converting them to Goodyear Automotive Service Centers.
After that though, Mr. Ragan continued in the retreading business as founder and owner of BR Retreading in Glasgow, Ky., and co-owner of RDH Tire in Cleveland, N.C.
In the obituary posted on the website of Summersett Funeral Home, the Ragan family said Mr. Ragan died "doing what he loved, out with his dogs at the hunting camp."
Born Oct. 1, 1946, in Salisbury, N.C., Mr. Ragan graduated from Sewanee Military Academy in Tennessee in 1965 and from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1969.
He is survived by his daughter Erin Kathleen Ragan Becker (Gareth) and their son Percy Martyn Ragan Becker; son Bradley James Ragan and his daughter Lillian Carleen Ragan; and son Scott Elder Ragan (Alyssa Lynn) and their daughters Elsie Hayes Ragan and Addison Louise Ragan.
Visitation is set for 4-6 p.m. on Jan. 8 at Summersett Funeral Home in Salisbury, N.C. A memorial service will held at 11 a.m. on Jan. 9 at Summersett Memorial Chapel.
Memorials can be made to Ducks Unlimited; Wounded Warrior Project; ASPCA; or to a charity of the donor's choice.