back     Qualities Noble & Strong Independent Frugal Forthright Honorable Self-taught Wise Confident Creative & Clever Innovative Walter Marvin Bryant jr 01/13/1913 - 04/02/1994 Lynchburg, VA Passions Family Hunting & Fishing Fly-tying Gardening Friends Birdwatching Poetry Music (Opera) Dogs Football Reading     ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Eulogy ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Written and delivered by son, Tim: A Celebration of the Life of W. Marvin Bryant, Jr. I stand before you today to celebrate the long and bountiful life of Marvin Bryant. He was a husband, a father, a grandfather, a father-in-law, uncle, brother-in-law and friend to all who have gathered here today to honor his life. He was a constant in our lives, always fulfilling what he thought necessary to assist those he loved. Although not a demonstrative man in his love, we always felt certain of that love. In his letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul describes the essence of love! I Cor. 13 Paul helps us to understand that presently we only have a dim understanding of how much our Heavenly Father loves us. When we meet Him face to face, then we'll know for sure! I tell you now, that we all have started down that "pathway of understanding", concerning the love that Marvin Bryant had for us. Anyway you measure it, this man was a success. He married one of the two most wonderful women I have ever known! He had five children, all of whom completed college. He started a successful business with his partner. He took time to enjoy his family and friends. He loved to hunt and fish and tend his garden. He loved poetry and would quote "Dangerous Dan McGrew" by Robert Service without even being prompted! He loved to talk about life and of its' meaning. I believe this awareness guided him in his commitment to his wife and family. Kahlil Gibran expresses it for us in "The Prophet". p. 15 Marriage Our father taught us many things. His moral compass yielded many values for us to meditate on. He felt strongly about the value of a college education, even though he didn't have one. He believed that honesty was always the best policy. He said that you should stand up for what you believe in and take responsibility for all your actions. He proved to us that hard work was necessary to achieve what we desired. He taught us to be thrifty. He admonished us when we took an errant pathway in our lives. From his love of gardening and hunting and fishing, he transferred to us the importance of being good stewards of this earth. In an indirect way, he taught me the value of charity. Whenever I purchased something as a teenage that he thought was frivolous, he would always hold his hand up and say, "The Lord loveth a cheerful giver." Patience was not one of his virtues. Nevertheless, I learned a great deal about it. I remember when I was about 12, he was teaching me how to fly fish on a mountain stream. The third time I got my line hung up in the trees, he stormed off downstream. It took me about 20 min. to get untangled and I finally caught up with him several hours later. He has helped me to understand that living and dying are just parts of an eternal process. I believe that he would agree with the words of "The Prophet": p. 80 - Death Many of you may be unsure of what will happen to him. Even more, you may be worrying about what may become of you, as you sit and listen to my words. You can rest assured that our father knew what was going to happen. I read to you the words of Jesus to his disciples from the Gospel of John John 14: 1-7 Some of you may be troubled about what has happened to the earthly vessel that has housed his soul. Others may be in doubt about the future residence of his soul. During this season of the resurrection and of new life, let me reassure you by reading from Paul's letter to the Corinthians: I Cor. 15: 50-57 Our native American brothers believe that when a warrior dies, his soul goes to the happy hunting grounds. And many of you have your own thoughts about the hereafter. I somehow want to believe that heaven may be somewhat like the Garden of Eden. We'll go hunting, but we'll never come home empty-handed! Well, it's time to say good-bye. As memories flood your mind, hang on to them and cherish each one. Never forget what this man has meant to you! Happy hunting, Pop! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Special Tribute ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Papa, one of your grandsons fittingly described you as 'Noble'. You commanded respect and admiration - even from people who were not fond of you - because you were highly principled and stepped to your own drummer. You had the potential to be enormously wealthy but chose instead to share the wealth. One of your former employees remarked that your business ethics helped provide a living for 40 or 50 other families in town. Never one to give a handout, you provided opportunity; and those who chose to utilize that opportunity were amply rewarded. You considered good business to be "that which is good for you, and good for me". In addition to being a good business man, you were an avid outdoors man. Your love for and knowledge of forests, fields and streams brought you closer to the Native American philosophy than you would have admitted. Part of your joy in hunting and fishing was watching your family enjoy your 'harvest'. Many of our meals consisted of delectable vegetables from your garden supplemented by freshly caught Rainbow trout. Your family always relied on and appreciated your strength - physical, emotional, and strength of character. The plaque on your memorial at the cabin, near where we scattered your ashes, reads: "The earthly form I used while here Is where I love to be: Delighting in the mountains near. My soul is soaring, free." A separate plaque reads: "Live simply so others may simply live." You may never have claimed this motto, but it does exemplify your life. Thank you for all you have given us and been to us, Papa. I love you and miss you -- and you still owe me $10! (from the dinner table many years ago, when, with the usual din of many voices, you quietly said "I'll give $10 to anyone who hears me say this.") Your daughter, Val   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Personal Tributes ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 09/19/2008     POP Darkened too soon the eye once honed like an eagles. The hunter and fly fisherman. He loved the mountains, rivers, streams, The solitary song of a whippoorwill. In them, He found refuge from that which diminished the power of his wild heart. When I was a child, I thought he'd invented fly fishing. He and my uncle splitting their creels out back on the picnic table. Razor sharp knives gutting and scaling rainbows for the fry pan. The mingled scent of sweat, straw hats, river, cigarettes, and whiskey Lingered, long, under the oak trees trapped in the humid night air. Summers on Saturday evenings, we ate fresh trout And fresh vegetables from his garden. My favorite memory For the hunter was satisfied, his argumentative nature made sanguine By the adventures that kept his fire. Not much held his sway but living simply and being successful, Everything else lost somewhere between the two. The falls were hard...occasionally, a hand up. "The Lord loveth a cheerful giver," he'd say, if we did not live simply enough. Was it the sun's reflection in the streams he fished? Was it the way he held a cigarette clinched tight in his mouth. Smoke billowing up, while tying flies for hours on end, Or was it life's way of stealing its best that darkened his eye and spread to his liver? I love you Pop, Sharon Sharon Bryant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 04/02/2009     Fifteen years have gone by and it feels like just yesterday you were puttering around the garden or watching your sprouting garden goodies in their own little peat pots grow under the light in the basement. I miss you and all of the wonderful life you provided. Mom never recovered after you left but I know she's with you now and you are both making a wonderful house in heaven for us. But, I get to be the oldest this time, okay? Love you! Kathy Kathy Chenault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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