Obituary for William Howard Bryant Sr William Howard Bryant, Sr. (Bill) passed away peacefully at his home in the early hours of July 18, 2018, surrounded by family and his beloved dog Molly. Born on September 1, 1944 in Longview, TX, to John Wilbur “Jack” Bryant (1921-2014) and JoAnn Welch Bryant (1922-2002), Bill grew up in Longview, TX and attended Longview High School where he played football and sweet-talked girls, graduating in 1962. He spent sweltering high school summers painting gymnasium floors under the tutelage of his father (a professional painter who retired after 45 years with the Longview Independent School District), and learned lifelong skills that he passed down to his own children, such as how to patch large holes in walls, “Don’t you lean on that ladder!
” and “Why don’t you get some paint on that brush? ! ” From his Mother, he inherited a love of a nice smelling cologne, his quick wit and talent for spinning long, drawn-out tales in a soft Texan drawl.
He remained a lifelong Longview High Lobo and faithful Texan at heart (“You can take the man out of Texas but you can’t take Texas out of the man”), and in later years got a kick out of reuniting with old classmates on Facebook. He joined the US Navy in 1963 and attended Radarman ‘A’ School on Treasure Island in San Francisco, CA, instructed by his future father-in-law George L. Reeves, Sr. (1920 – 2001, Retired US Navy). He met Barbara Ann Reeves with a group of friends in Santa Cruz on Memorial Day 1963 and “accidentally” left his wallet in her friend’s car.
After an awkward wallet retrieval from what turned out to be his Naval instructor’s home, he and Barbara married in December of that year, and he spent the rest of his devoted life with her attached at the hip, proving that opposites attract and teaching us all about true love, unselfishness, compromise, and commitment. In the Navy, he was a Radarman 3rd class and served in Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin and was stationed in 1965 on a Tin Can, the USS Radford (DD-446) in Honolulu, HI. He lived his life as a fiercely proud Patriot, honoring and celebrating our Military and Veterans.
His years in the Navy shaped him into the man he became and gave us a lifetime of colorful stories (“I didn’t fall out of that moving taxi on the way back to the ship after drinking that night, I got out when I saw the ship! ”), but he always felt that his service to our country paled in comparison to the sacrifices made by others, in particular his son, John David Bryant, whose military career he was especially proud of (retired Army, 24 years). After working at Ratheon Semiconductor and Fairchild Semiconductor in the California Bay Area from 1966 – 1971, he began a long career in the heavy trucking industry with Mack Trucks in Hayward California.
In May, 1977 he relocated his family to Ogden, Utah to work for White Motor. In Utah, he enjoyed the great outdoors nestled at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains, and enjoyed snow skiing, camping, hunting and fishing. He was often up before dawn after a heavy snow, shoveling or plowing neighbors’ driveways and sidewalks.
White Motor was later acquired by Volvo Trucks. He, Barbara and son William Jr., (Billy) relocated to Pulaski, Virginia in 1992 where he held various Industrial Engineering Supervisory roles with Volvo until retiring in 2011. He was particularly proud of the trucks he helped build over the years, but more so of the treasured friendships of long-time colleagues.
In Pulaski, Bill and Barbara volunteered countless hours with the Pulaski County Humane Society, transporting hundreds of rescued dogs and later serving as President on the Board. Another passion he pursued was helping a local Naval veteran set up the USS Radford National Naval Museum in Radford, VA (coincidentally the ship that he was stationed on in the Navy). The museum has since been co-located with the USS Orleck Naval Museum in Lake Charles, LA.
In 2012, they moved to Charlotte, NC to be closer to daughter Jennifer, and settled on a beautiful property with a large (now well-stocked) pond in Matthews, NC in close proximity to Bass Pro and the Golden Corral. Throughout his life, Bill was a jack-of-all-trades and fixer of all broken things (skills he credits his father-in-law with teaching him): an electrician, plumber, auto mechanic, computer technician, & master carpenter. He held other less rewarding jobs like 2am emergency tow truck driver and re-attacher of garage doors & dropped transmissions.
He never passed up a dessert menu or opportunity to tell lies with his brother-in-law and fishing buddy, George. He had a soothing singing voice and knew the words to every sad country song recorded between 1950 and 1977. A well-loved neighbor and friend, Bill was always ready with a helping hand and an extensive collection of tools to lend for every job & season.
Long before YouTube, every tool rental was accompanied by a detailed in-person training demonstration, often resulting in the actual repair itself. As a Father, Grandfather, and Uncle, he had a merciless tickle finger, could crack three eggs on your head at a time, and made a mean knuckle sandwich. He had limitless patience for tying and teaching complex fishing knots, baiting a hook, untangling a fishing line, telling stories, giving hugs, and eating ice cream.
He was particularly skilled at “resting his eyes”. He instilled in us all a love of cinnamon toast, an uncompromising work ethic, the importance of doing something right the first time, and a zero tolerance for cutting corners. After a short illness, in the hours before dawn on July 18, 2018, he filled his coffee mug, packed up his favorite rods and spinner bait, and quietly slipped out to catch the morning mist rising off a glassy cove, where the bass are always biting and the bluegills are always stealing his worms.
The sound of his soft voice patiently explaining the psychology of his cunning opponent (with a few Cajun jokes and cuss words mixed in) will be forever missed but never forgotten. The man who knew how to do everything well in life carried that through to the end. We love you and are forever grateful for every minute of every day we had with you.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara Ann Bryant, son William Howard Bryant, Jr., (Matthews, NC), daughter Jennifer Lynn Bryant (husband Scott Humes, Charlotte, NC), son John David Bryant (wife Lorie and daughter Lena, Harrison Township, MI), grandson Justin Fauland, Denver, CO, granddaughter Julia Bryant (Colorado Springs, CO), sister Barbara Jo Broyles (Corpus Christi, TX), sister Janice Bryant Johnson (husband Mike, Longview, TX), brother Mike Bryant (wife Bettie, Longview, TX), brother-in-law George L. Reeves (wife Barbara, York, SC) and brother-in-law Andrew John Reeves (Pulaski, VA), and nieces and nephews in TX and CA. It was his wish to not have a public memorial service, but his family would welcome sharing stories in celebration of his life on his Facebook page and donations in his memory to the Union County Humane Society, PO Box 101, Monroe, NC 28112. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of William Howard Bryant Sr please visit our Sympathy Store.
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