Lawrence "Rita" Vaughan Bryant

If anyone ever cared, really cared for someone else it would have to be Lawrence Vaughan Bryant, also known as and even better known as "Rita". He was a warm hearted and well liked individual, and these wonderful traits came easily to him because he was such a sociable and amiable person, someone who was always making certain that those around him had whatever they needed. Rita loved to talk with people and while he would always mean what he said, his love for people led him to always be tactful and considerate of other's feelings.

For those who don't know how "Rita" got his name: When just a young child, his mom would send him to the corner grocery store to get a loaf of bread. He could not say Merita (which was the name of a favorite bread in the day) and he would ask for 'a loaf of Rita bread'....the older boys in the neighborhood would tease him and called him "the rita bread boy!' Over the years it was shortened to Rita and became a term of endearment for all who knew him. More people knew him by 'Rita' than by Lawrence.

      Rita was born in Lynchburg General Hospital in Lynchburg, VA. He was the son of Hilda and Vaughan Bryant and was raised in Lynchburg VA. During his childhood he learned to be reliable and respectful. Rita was an obedient child who wanted to win the favor of others. He found it easy to show sympathy and to perform kind acts for others. He was extremely generous. These admirable qualities would become a part of Rita's personality throughout his life.

      Though 'Rita' was frequently the one to initiate games and activities with his family, he was also quite often the family member who took the role of referee. Rita' was a peace-maker with an ability to resolve all sorts of family conflicts. In fact, Rita worked conscientiously to keep those typical family spats at bay. Rita was raised with one brother, Kenneth Allen Bryant. Rita and Kenneth had the typical rivalries while growing up, but they cared deeply for one another.

      As someone who reveled in the sheer joy of his experiences, Rita was always enthusiastic about new adventures. Although he had an exacting nature, Rita was always tactful. One thing Rita will certainly be remembered for is that, when he got up in the mornings, he was ready and raring to go. As a young boy, he had a number of interests and was an active kid. He had a paper route...in 'those days' it was common for young boys to have this way to earn money! Rita took part in little league football. He was a little league footballer and Pee Wee baseballer. In his spare time he liked to be with his friends. Another of his youthful interests included the memorable achievements of being a 'patrol boy' for the school system.

      For Rita, the school routines were never a problem although he generally preferred variety to structure. He seemed to be able to start a project and work right through to its completion. And he was able to do it quickly and efficiently. Rita was also adept at details. Rita was very observant and was generally quick at picking up new things. He graduated from E. C. Glass High School in 1957. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite class in high school was geometry. The teachers he enjoyed learning from the most was Miss Brown and Mr. Ramsey. Rita loved his friends and coaches, escpecially coaches Vince Bradford and Bob Sherrill. He was published in the local paper as being on the football team at Glass with a picture that said "he was surprising agile for his size." He was on the tract team at Glass and excelled in the shot put.

       Rita appeared to be well equipped to succeed. He had a knack for staying focused and on track no matter what was going on around his. Rita had the ability to work undisturbed through all of the constant interruptions that are a regular part of his life. Rita enjoyed using the skills he'd already learned and applying them to new courses. He knew the facts and rarely made factual errors. Rita attended night classes at CVCC and UVA in Lynchburg. He never earned any degrees but enjoyed constant learning.

      There was one thing that all of Rita's friends knew and will still remember, and that is that he was a talker. He could pretty much talk to anybody about anything. This quality is one of the primary reasons that Rita was such a popular person throughout his life. But Rita was also dependable, loyal and trustworthy. Rita was the kind of person who simply radiated good fellowship. While he maintained personal standards and his own personal values, Rita was very accepting of others. With a distinct skill for working things out, Rita was often the person who would organize events. In fact, Rita was fairly comfortable playing the role of “host” for just about any occasion. When Rita made friends, he made true and lasting friendships. While growing up, some of his best friends were C. G. Elder, 'Pete' McCraw, J. W. Price, David Blondino and the Feagan brothers. Later in life, he became friends with Al & Kaye Wilson, Carol & Ron Godwin, Denny & Linda Brown, J. R. Stanley, Charlie Hogan, Bill Wingfield, Farley Bomar, Bob Mahanes, John Wingfield, Jimmy Litchfield, Tommy Wright, and his' liitle buddy', Gene Gallagher.

      Rita was a faithful and loving person. Some would even call him sentimental and a romantic at heart. His kindness and consideration radiated an aura of warmth to those around his. Rita cared for what others thought and carried that into his marriage. Rita married Carol Faye Mason (Rita called her "Tootie") at Memorial Methodist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia. Rita and Carol were married August 29, 1959. Compassionate and devoted, "Rita" worked hard to make his new life partner happy and he succeeded quite well, according to Carol.

      Harmony was important to Rita and he made every effort to maintain it with his family. Rita was blessed with with 4 children, Tom Bryant, Joan Bryant Anderson, Glenn Bryant and Neal Bryant. They were also blessed with 12 grandchildren . Tommy, Taylor and Emma Bryant, Michelle, Drew (A.G.) and Hope Anderson, Whitney and Conner Gray, Landon Bryant, Zealan Bryant, Kacey Poe, Jeremy Poe, Kensi Wilberger, and Josh Wilberger. Rita was always conscious of the feelings others had. He was reasonable and understanding. As a result, Rita was quick to solve disputes and did so without much fuss. His secret of success in this area was simple: Rita would listen before he would act.

      Taking his work seriously came naturally to Rita, and he expected the same from those around him. Rita was a good team player, someone who was born to cooperate with others. He was what some would call a “people person” and it was demonstrated in his good communication skills. Rita was a steady worker, one who was realistic about schedules. The kind of details that would give family members and work colleagues fits were situations that Rita handled well. He could understand the details without getting lost in the broad “big picture.” His primary occupation was general manager of a sign company. He was employed for 15 years with the Virginia Department of Highways, owned his own fire equipment business at one time, and worked for 25 years as General Manager of a sign company. He brought harmony to his work environment, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done, while always maintaining respect for his colleagues.

      Blessed with a practical nature, Rita was a person who appreciated the routine of the military although he never served in the military because of health reasons. Through his hard work and dedication, he still supported the military efforts.

      A methodical man, Rita enjoyed spending time working on his various hobbies. He had no problem following all of the steps and instructions on a given project and was proud of the fact that he could have something to show for his efforts. His favorite pursuits were spending as much time as he could with his family and cooking. He LOVED to watch cooking shows and envisioned himself another Graham Kerr. He loved being part of community activities.

      Rita was one of those people who took pride in constantly putting forth his best effort. Nowhere was that more visible than in sports. Rita was always enthusiastic and a great team player. In high school, Rita played football and later in life played a little golf. Rita also liked being a sports fan and enjoyed following his favorite teams whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were football when his sons were playing. Neal played for Liberty University and Rita was always there with his own megaphone cheering him on.

     His keen interest in things that affected the lives of other people led Rita to become actively involved in professional and community organizations. Because he was outgoing and worked well with others, Rita did his fair share of volunteer work. And he wouldn’t shy away from taking the lead on committees or events, either. He was a born list maker and was great at creating and sticking to schedules. In high school, Rita was a member of the football team. Throughout his later years, Rita was an active member of the Mended Hearts Chapter 16, National Mended Hearts, The Exchange Club of Lynchburg, The Masonic Lodge, Fraternal Order of Police Associates (FOPA), The Shriners and their Clown Unit, The Bradford Boys & the Lynchburg Life Saving Crew.

      Rita was the kind of person who would readily move into action in order to help others. He was appreciated and respected. He could find value in the opinions of others and was passionate about his own values and beliefs. It’s little wonder that he was active and highly valued by those in his community, serving on committees for the Board of his Community, Volunteering for Virginia Baptist Hospital and Pearson Cancer center. Politically, Rita was a stong supporter of the Republican Party and served on the Campbell County Republican Committee.

     His high moral standards and traditional values served Rita well with his faith. Religion and faith were important to him. He was a member for 20 years at Thomas Road Baptist Church and sang in the choir for 12 years. During that time, he was very active in the Christmas program at TRBC. He was a Charter member of The Well Church in Forest VA. He was well respected because he was such an outgoing individual who sought to help in any manner he could.

      A generous and compassionate man, Rita accomplished much during his lifetime. Though he never set out to gain individual recognition, Rita was recognized and given awards for his many and varied efforts throughout his life. Some of his most prestigious awards included for the Exchange Club: Exchangite of the Year 1999-2000, Recognition Award of Outstanding Dedicated Serice Chairman of the Pancake Jamboree, Virginia District Exchange honor Roll Award 2007, Outstanding Exchange Club Treasurer 2008-2009 and Va. District Quality Club Award in 2007-2008, and the Hearts of Fame Award for Exemplary Service to Blue Ridge Chapter 16 Mended Hearts. He was passionate about his involvements and worked hard for the good of all the missions of whichever service organizations he was working with.

      Not only did Rita enjoy traveling, but he also seemed to enjoy planning all of those trips and vacations. He was a facilitator who could easily make up a near perfect schedule of all of the things to do and see. He rarely tired of going back and revisiting his favorite places. Favorite vacations included Myrtle Beach, Cruising the Mediterrian and the Bahamas. He was always home in Colorado with his buddy Frank Mantz. He loved being in Florida with his daughter and her family.

      Rita was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of his favorites was Sally, his mutt dog when he was young and who was a best friend but he wasn't sure how long he had Sally. He also had Smokey the cat and Max the dog. And, he loved Tom's Charlie and Joannie's Cody.

      Since it was easy for Rita to meet and get to know new people, he quickly made friends, even in retirement. Once he met those new friends, he loved sharing stories and talking about the 'good ole days'. Since he was practical and cost effective, Rita was ready when that day came to retire, finally, in 2007. He stayed in Lynchburg... his life long home. In retirement, he found new pleasure in Bible studies, traveling, and being with his family. Even in retirement, Rita stayed in touch with his old friends and made plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in the community and felt fulfilled with the opportunities that retirement offered him.

      Rita passed away on January 21, 2018 in Seven Hills Hospice House loacted Lynchburg VA. Rita had acute/chronic diastolic congestive heart failure. He is survived by the love of his life, Carol (his wife) & Children: Tom, Joan and Neal. (Glenn preceeded him in dealth) Also his grandchildren: Tommy, Taylor, Emma Bryant, Michelle, Drew (A.G.) and Hope Anderson, Kacey and Jeremy Poe, Whitney and Conner Gray, Landon Bryant, Zealan Bryant, Kensi Wilberger and Josh Wilberger.,

      Rita was a fantastic conversationalist who could engage just about anyone in a discussion. And whenever he said something, he meant it. Rita was a down to earth person, outgoing and gregarious. He was without question the type of person who enjoyed experiencing things first hand. He was practical and sensible, but what friends and family will remember him for most is the fact that he was so understanding and kind. Everyone whose life he touched will miss Lawrence Vaughan Bryant. Services were held at Thomas Road Baptist church with Jonathan Falwell officating. His three children spoke at his service plus his son-in-law. He was laid to rest in in the Old City Cemetery Columbarium in Lynchburg VA.

Obituary

Lawrence Vaughan "Rita" Bryant - Born in Lynchburg, Virginia August 17, 1939 to Vaughan Thaxton and Hilda Higginbotham Bryant who proceeded him in death as well as a brother, Kenneth Allan Bryant, a son, Glenn Eric Bryant, a great granddaughter, Kennedy Drew Anderson and his mother and father-in-law, Helen and Tom Mason. He was married to the love of his life, Carol Mason Bryant for 58 years.

His family was very important to him. His children include the Dr. Tom (Martha) Bryant of Bedford, Neal C. (Jill) Bryant of Lynchburg and a daughter Joan B. (Greg) Anderson of Ft. Lauderdale Florida, sister- in- law Sandra Bryant, and nephews Jeff (Julie) and Chris (Deana) Bryant, Bobby and David Mason & Yvette Clark. Grandchildren include: Tommy Bryant, Taylor (Anthony) Bourn, Kacey Poe, Jeremy Poe, Michelle Anderson (Cole) Hopper, Drew (Kacie) Anderson, Hope Anderson, Whitney Gray, Conner (Maria) Gray, Landon Bryant, Zealan Bryant, Kensi Wilberger, Josh Wilberger and Emma Bryant. He has 4 great grandchildren, Avery Bryant, Harper & Gabriel Bourn and Parker Anderson. He is also survived by a number of great nephews and nieces and many wonderful lifelong friends.

Rita was a charter member of The Well Church. In years past he was a member of the Lynchburg Life Saving Crew, Mended Hearts Chapter 16, the Masonic Lodge and Lynchburg Shrine Club & Clown Unit, Exchange Club, The Thomas Road Baptist Church choir and served on the Village Park Court Board.

A service celebrating his life was held at Thomas Road Baptist Church, 701 Thomas Road on Wednesday January 24, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. with Pastor Jonathan Falwell officiating.

Please consider donations made to The Well Church, 2450 Thomas Jefferson Road, Forest, VA 24551 or The Shriners Hospitals for Children — Greenville, 950 West Faris Rd., Greenville, SC 29605.

Services rendered by Heritage Funeral Service, Lynchburg, Virginia.