“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, Act like Men, be Strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13

Bernard “Bunzy” Bryant was born in Portsmouth, Virginia June 19, 1944 to Earl and Mary Myrtle Bryant. The family moved from the coal mines of West Virginia to the Flatlands of Monroe, Louisiana around 1950.

Bunzy, a gifted athlete, attended Neville High School where he was a member of the 1959/61/62 State Champion Football team. In track, his relay team won the state championship in 1962. In recalling the Neville days, Harvey Perry noted, “Man, Bunzy was the fastest!”

After graduating from Neville High School, Bunzy attended the University Of Southern Louisiana School Of Architecture. He was a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity. Frequent patronage of “The Swingin Machine” with Hardeman Cordell and Alan Williams birthed many legendary tales told often in the Bryant household.

Prompted by Hardeman, Bunzy met Miss Lynn Abell from Welsh, Louisiana. Bunzy and Lynn were married on November 2, 1970 in Orange, Texas. They moved to Monroe and built a family and a thriving business that is still operational today. Many local buildings and campuses were designed by Bunzy to include the Troy and Nichols building, Century Tel Campus, and Ouachita High School. He developed numerous properties with partner Dave Lamm for Government Agencies that included the Social Security Administration, FBI, DEA and The Border Patrol though out the United States.

Bunzy and Lynn’s story is woven together with the fabric of love, family, loyalty, strength, determination and faith necessary to overcome life’s challenges. Both determined and strong willed, they were a model of how to maneuver life and adversity together. And, after Lynn’s passing just a few weeks ago, heartbroken Bunzy remarked, “I’d just rather be with MiMi. I miss her.”

Aware of his youthful adventures with his lifelong friends, Hardeman Cordell, Mike Wilson, Joe Cage, Bill Ethridge, Jimmy Gaiennie, Fred Hill, Harvey Perry, Alan Williams, and numerous others, Bunzy would jokingly comment “I never answer the front door on Father’s Day”….Though not on Father’s Day but through a series of events, we welcomed our older sister Katherine into the family this year. She and her two daughters were bedside when Bunzy passed.

Bunzy is preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Lynn Bryant, his mother and father, Mary Myrtle and Earl Bryant, brothers Billy Bryant and Bobby Bryant as well as his mother and father in law Jackie and Bill Abell and sister in law Jan Abell.

Bunzy is survived by his children, Clint Bryant (Allison),Elizabeth Salas (JJ), and Katherine Robinson Phillips (Courtney). Also surviving him are grandchildren Brock Bryant (Kayla), Amanda Bryant, Mary Elizabeth Bryant, Caroline Reed, Isabelle Reed, Galen Phillips (Nick), Carlile Koestler (Rob), Kalani and Malia Salas, and George, Samuel, Annabelle Webb; great-grandchildren, Kit Bryant, Leo Koestler and Kate Koestler. Brother in law Chuck Abell (Dianne), sisters in law, Ellen Carter (Chuck) and Donna Abell and sister in law Mary Lou Bryant and numerous nieces and nephews will mourn his passing as well.

Our family would like to thank Ascend Hospice, Charlotte McNeal, Charlies Angels and our friend and dad’s caretaker, Chester King, for the love, support and care for our Dad during his last days.

Thank you to all of our friends, who offered up prayer, brought food and helped in anything and everything we needed.

In the spirit of Bunzy and Lynn’s personality and wishes, there will be a Celebration of Life Cocktail party at a later date to honor their lives and friendships. To honor Bunzy please consider a gift to Help Hope Live for Mica Walker-ONeil at https://helphopelive.org/campaign/24155/

We will Love you always and forever…………………

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