Obituary of John Bryant

John Morris Bryant Sr., 83, of Lynchburg died Saturday, December 15, at Lynchburg General Hospital with Helen Martin Bryant, his wife of 64 years, and other family members at his side. Born July 16, 1924, John was the son of John Henry Bryant and Mattie Stone Bryant. He grew up with his 11 brothers and sisters on their family farm in Henry County, near Bassett, Virginia. In 1943, he graduated from New York's Maritime School of Engineering and became an Engineering Officer in the U.S. Merchant Marine during World War II. Serving with the rank of First Engineer, he engaged in numerous convoy missions aboard "Liberty Ships" and survived the torpedoing of his ship in the Mediterranean by a German U-boat. Rising to the position of Chief Engineer, John remained in the Merchant Marine until 1955, when he entered the steam and nuclear power industry as a mechanical and quality control engineer He moved with his family to Lynchburg in 1957 to join Babcock and Wilcox and helped to construct the world's first nuclear powered civilian cargo ship, the N.S. Savannah. For many years thereafter, he was an inspections engineer for Factory Mutual. John is survived by his wife, Helen, and four of his five children, thirteen of his fourteen grandchildren, and six great grandchildren. Surviving him are his son John M. Bryant, Jr. and his wife Joella Millner Bryant, of Norcross, Georgia; his son Paul R. Bryant and his wife Elizabeth Schwiers Bryant, of Yardley, PA, and their children Dr. Paul R. Bryant, Jr. ("Levi"), Sarah Bryant Olson, and Wesley M. Bryant; his daughter Helen Anne Bryant Ferrell and her husband Gentry R.P. Ferrell, of Lynchburg, and their children Gentry R.P. Ferrell, Jr. ("Grif"), John Bryant Victor Ferrell, George S. Ferrell, III , Nicholas M.W. Ferrell, and Helen V. H. Ferrell; and his son Richard T. Bryant and his wife Mary McDermid Bryant of Madison, New Jersey, and their children, Matthew W. Bryant, Daniel M. Bryant, and Andrew M. Bryant. John Bryant was preceded in death in 1973 by his second son, Wesley Martin Bryant and Wesley's wife, Sue Sharp Bryant, who died earlier this year. Wesley and Sue were survived by John's beloved granddaughters, Amy Bryant and Julie Bryant Berdahl, and her husband Phil. In 1987, John's grandson Steven, son of John M. Bryant, Jr., also preceded his grandfather in death. John is also survived by two sisters, Mrs. Howard V. (Dorothy) Porter of Bassett, Virginia, and Mrs. Carl M. (Velma) Stone of Martinsville, VA. John was a Sunday School teacher and a Lifetime Deacon at Rivermont Avenue Baptist Church, where he was an active member for more than 50 years. He was Past President of the Lynchburg Society of Engineering and Science as well as a member of the Lynchburg Exchange Club, American Legion Post 16, and the Project Liberty Ship Restoration Group. A funeral Service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, December 18 at Rivermont Avenue Baptist Church with Dr. David Breckenridge presiding. Interment will follow in Spring Hill Cemetery on Fort Avenue with his comrades from the American Legion Post #16 providing military honors. The family will be receiving guests on Monday, December 17 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Diuguid Funeral Home, 811 Wiggington Rd., Lynchburg. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made in John's memory to Rivermont Avenue Baptist Church.