Dr. John Bryan

Dr. John Nelson Bryan August 17, 1920 to November 10, 2007 Dr. John Nelson Bryan, beloved father and brother, rejoined his wife Frances and his Heavenly Father on November 10, 2007. The family will receive friends Thursday, November 15th, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Scanio-Harper Funeral Home, 3110 Airport Rd. Temple, TX 76504. Services will be held in the chapel at Scanio-Harper Funeral Home at 2:00 p.m. Friday, November 16th, followed by a brief graveside service at Hillcrest Cemetery, 1602 North Main Street, Temple, TX. John was born in Nashville, Tennessee to Dr. Nelson and Frances Bryan. Two weeks after his birth the family returned to Huangsien in the Chinese provice of Shantong where Nelson and Frances staffed a hospital as Southern Baptist medical missionaries. Later the family grew with the arrivals of sisters Ann and Sarah. John and his sisters grew up in China, and though they occasionally returned to the United States they thought of Huangsien as "home". John attended a mission boarding school in Chefoo, China and returned to the U.S. to attend Baylor University in Waco, Texas where he obtained his training to become a physician. He continued his medical training with the U.S. Navy in 1944, and worked with his father as a medical missionary in Huangsien, China until 1948. Afterwards he went through surgical and general practice residencies in Dallas and El Paso, Texas. He remained in private practice until his return to Naval service in 1953 with the Korean War. During his service he attained the rank of Lt. Commander while acting as the Senior Medical Officer on the USS Point Cruz. After his discharge in 1955 he returned to El Paso where he met and married Frances Kathryn O'Bryant. Shortly afterwards he moved to Odessa, TX where he entered private practice as a General Practitioner until January, 1979. During this time, John and Fran had four children: John Nelson, jr., Laura Ann, William Augustus, and Frances Erin. John also had one daughter, Allison Lee, through a previous marriage. In 1979 John left private practice to work in the Ambulatory Care Clinic of the VA Hospital in Temple, TX. He retired in 1994, but continued to work as a contract physician until 1996. He resided briefly in Austin, Texas during his last months. Throughout his life John loved his family. He loved the sea and nature, and he loved the Lord. He loved books and reading, especially enjoying the works of John Graves and John le Carre. Over the years studying and traveling he had acquired a store of knowledge and was wide, varied and often surprising. He had a great faculty with languages, many self-taught. He was nurturing and loving with his family and children, caring with his patients, and respectful with co-workers. He will be sorely missed, and those of us who knew and loved him will always cherish the memories of his laughter, his wisdom and his affection. John is preceded in death by his parents Nelson Augustus and Frances Bryan, his wife Frances Kathryn Bryan, Leta Rue Pogue, and his grandchild Emily Frances Bryan. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law Allison Lee and Stephen James Wolfe of Liberty Hill, his son and daughter-in-law John Nelson and Aijuan Han Bryan of Cedar Park, his daughter Laura Ann Bryan of Temple, his son and daughter-in- law William Augustus and Judith Anne Bryan of Buda, and his daughter and son-in-law Frances Erin and Randal Duane Rugh and their children Ethan David, Robert Bryan, and Stephen Matthew Rugh of Bandera. He is also survived by his sisters Anne Bryan Pearle and Sarah Frances Erwin, and two generations nieces and nephews. The family wishes to extend their sincerest appreciation to the nurses and physicians at both St. David's Medical Center and North Austin Medical Center for the care and kindness he received there. They would also like to offer special gratitude to the nurses and staff at Loyalton of Austin Assisted Living for their care, affection and friendship towards John and his family. The family would also like to give thanks to all those who have called and offered support, prayed with us, and helped us during this time. You have all been a blessing.