Judge John N. Bryan, Jr. passed away on the 22nd of March 2018. He was born November 12, 1926 in Birmingham, Alabama to the late Ruth Easterwood Bryan and John N. Bryan, Sr. He attended Edgewood Grammar School and Shades Cahaba High School, graduating from Shades Cahaba in 1944. His youth was spent in fishing, hunting, camping and athletics. He worked as a stock boy at Edgewood Grocery Store, had a paper route and in June 1944 played at Rickwood Field in the first East-West All-Star baseball game. Judge Bryan often spoke of Edgewood as a great place to grow up. In the summer of 1943 a major event in his life took place when, at 16 years old, he took a pretty brown-eyed 13 year old blonde to the Alabama Theater. She was the "love of his life" forever. He would marry Susan Sandal Baarcke on June 27, 1953. In July 1944, as a 17 year old, he entered the Army in World War II as a private, feeling very strongly that he had an obligation to serve his country. He separated from Service 3 years later as a 1st Lieutenant in the parachute infantry. Judge Bryan always felt a bond with anyone who served in the Infantry. He attended Alabama Polytechnic Institute (Auburn) on a football and baseball scholarship, but his athletic career was cut short by injuries. Judge Bryan set out to graduate as soon as possible, earning his degree from the School of Engineering in two and a half years. Although he intended to go to law school, he was ordered to active duty during the Korean War, giving weapons training to numerous units. In the Fall of 1951, he voluntarily participated in the Desert Rock Exercises, the first time soldiers deployed in close proximity to an air detonated atomic weapon. In August 1952 Judge Bryan returned to inactive status and reserve service and retired as a Colonel in 1986 after 34 years of total service. He enrolled in the University of Alabama Law School in the Fall of 1952, graduating in March 1955. Judge Bryan practiced law in Birmingham until November 13, 1975 when he was appointed Circuit Judge in the Civil Division of the 10th Judicial Circuit of Alabama and served as a circuit judge until his retirement in 1991. He was honored that his fellow judges selected him to serve as the Presiding Judge of the Circuit for his last 8 years on the Bench. After retirement, he actively engaged in the court and legal activities. In 1991, he became one of the early mediators of civil cases and in one year conducted a total of 94 mediations of which the great majority settled. Judge Bryan was frequently placed on active status to conduct court functions and on one occasion appointed to serve as a Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Over the years, he served on many judicial related committees and boards. The State of Alabama, the Supreme Court of Alabama, the Alabama Circuit Judges Association and the State of Alabama Unified Judicial System recognized his service with many honors and certificates of appreciation. In 1993 he was selected as the Birmingham Bar Association's Outstanding Lawyer of the Year. Judge Bryan will be greatly missed by all whose lives he touched. He was preceded in death by his sister Jane and his son Nat. He is survived by his loving wife of almost 65 years, Susan; his daughter Sandy (Greg) Vitalis; his daughter-in-law Ashley Bryan; his grandson Jack Bryan and his granddaughter Kate Bryan. Funeral service will be held at Johns-Ridout's Mortuary-Elmwood Chapel on Monday, March 26, 2018 at 12 pm, followed by burial in Elmwood Cemetery. The family will receive friends 11 am to 12 pm before the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to your charity of choice.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.johnsridoutselmwoodchapel.com for the Bryan family.
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