Son of Waldo Bradley and Helen McNatt Bradley. He graduated from Savannah High School in 1952 and the University of Georgia in 1956 with a BBA. While at UGA he was a member of Kappa Alpha Order. He served two years in the U.S. Army as First Lieutenant, and served in the U.S. Army Reserves. While on active duty he served in Army Intelligence at the Pentagon working "Behind the Green Door." He returned to Savannah in October of 1958 and joined his father at Bradley Plywood Corporation. One year later, his father died and he became President and CEO. Later he became Chairman of the Board, a position he held until his death. He served as President of the Hardwood Plywood Manufacturers Association, was a member of the Rotary Club of Savannah, the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and Chief Executives Organization (CEO). For 11 years he served as Vice Chairman of the Candler Hospital Board of Trustees. In 1982 he was inducted into Kappa Alpha Order's John L. Hardeman Province Court of Honor. In 1982 he was named a Distinguished Alumni of the Terry College of Business at UGA. He served as a Trustee of the University of Georgia Foundation and board member of the UGA Libraries Board of Visitors.

He was President of the Bradley Foundation, Inc. and the W. Waldo & Jenny Lynn Bradley Foundation, Inc. He was a 75-year member of Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church, serving as Chairman of the Board of Trustees. He was a member of the first class of Leadership Savannah which later became Leadership Georgia, a Trustee of the Savannah Country Day School, Trustee of Union Mission, and served as President of the Savannah Benevolent Association. He served as a bank director of the Savannah Bank and Trust Company, Georgia Railroad and Banking Company, and First Union Corporation acquisition of Wachovia Corporation. Other directorships include Savannah Foods and Industries, Atlanta Gas Light Company, and AGL Resources, Inc. He was predeceased by his parents; daughter, Helen Bradley Tarbutton; and sister, Jane Bradley Wheeler. Surviving are his wife of 58 years, Jenny Lynn Morse Bradley; daughter, Malinda and her husband, Frederick S Bergen of Savannah; son, William Waldo Bradley, Jr. and his wife, Margaret M Morrison of Charlotte, NC; eight grandchildren, Frederick Shearouse Bergen, Jr. and Fontaine Bradley Bergen, Mary Helen McNatt Tarbutton, Charles Kernaghan Tarbutton, Jr. and William Bradley Tarbutton, William Waldo Bradley III, John Morrison Bradley, and Helen Holt Bradley; and brother, Daniel Howard Bradley of Savannah.