Graveside services celebrating the life of Geraldine Shuman Bryson, 94, will be held at 2:00 pm on Friday, November 15, 2019 at Centuries Memorial Park in Shreveport, LA. Officiating will be her great-granddaughter Camille Tharpe.
She is preceded in death by her parents, brothers John Mack and James, son Ronald Lee Bryson, and by her husband of 73 years Robert Lee Bryson.
She is survived by her devoted son Robert Shuman Bryson and wife Kelly of Bossier City, granddaughters Bonnie Bryson Steele (husband Clint) of Saint Johns, Florida and Christine Bryson Tharpe (husband George) of Shreveport, grandson Robert Theodore (“Ted”) Bryson (wife Nicole) of Bossier City, great-granddaughters Camille Claudia Tharpe, Katherine Elizabeth Tharpe and Berkley Marie Bryson, and great-grandson Barrett Murphy Bryson. She is also survived by her loving sisters Sara (“Toodles”) Mazy, Patty Simmons (husband Jack), and Beth Sullivan (husband Tommy), and several nieces, nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews. Honoring Geraldine as pallbearers will be Ted Bryson, Dustin Martin, Jack Simmons, Jay Simmons, Clint Steele, and George Tharpe.
Geraldine was born on June 3, 1925 in Deport, Texas, the second of six children born to Fred and Hazel (Hearn) Shuman. She worked hard on the family farm and graduated from Deport High School. In 1944, after one (hamburger) dinner date she married her brother’s friend Robert Lee Bryson while he was home on leave from the Army. Together, across a number of states, they raised two sons. In 1955 they settled in Shreveport, eventually becoming “Mimi” and “Papa” to the luckiest children on earth.
Geraldine worked as an administrative professional for the State of Louisiana’s Disability Determination Section, retiring in the early 1990’s. During her career she received a number of professional awards including the Disability Section’s Secretary of the Year award. She had been a faithful member of First Presbyterian Church in Waskom, TX until its dissolution.
To know Geraldine was to love her. She was an outgoing person who lived to chat, to laugh (and make others laugh), and to help others. She was a giver--of love, of joy, of hope, of strength, of advice, of courage, of conversation, of warmth, of clarity. She was optimistic, independent and strong. Vivacious and loving. And humble… so humble she would blush reading this write-up. She never met a stranger who remained a stranger for long. She was a dedicated Christian, mother, grandmother, sister, friend, and neighbor. She read two newspapers a day, cover to cover. She loved roses, bird watching, cooking for her family, and visiting with family and friends at every opportunity. She is dearly missed but will forever remain in the hearts of her family.
