Sarah Elizabeth Bryant passed away Monday, August 3, 2020. She was born May 8, 1922 in Charlotte to W. Frank Brownlee and Grace Rutledge Brownlee. Sarah grew up in Charlotte and graduated from Dilworth Elementary School, Alexander Graham Junior High School and Central High School. She attended Woman's College (now UNC-Greensboro).
In January of 1942 she married the "only boyfriend" she ever had, James R. ("Bob") Bryant, Jr. After Bob's service in World War II, they returned to Charlotte.
Sarah began her volunteer service and discovered a lifelong passion for women's reproductive rights when she volunteered at the Florence Crittenton Home. It became clear to her that there was more that she could do when she was asked by Charlotte leaders to found the only women's reproductive resource between Atlanta and New York. As a result, Planned Parenthood began in North Carolina with a red telephone in Sarah's home that she answered twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. One prominent business leader once described Sarah as "charming and relentless". She used her charm and tenacity to recruit a long list of prominent business, civic, political, medical and ministerial leaders to help establish Planned Parenthood across North Carolina. Sarah Bryant was also active in many other charitable, political and civic causes where she felt that someone's health or safety was at risk. Sarah served on the board of the Florence Crittenton Foundation, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Hospital Authority, and as Chair of the Board of the Charlotte Rehab Hospital. She received many honors, but she was most proud of being chosen a Charlotte Woman of the Year, receiving the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award from Davidson College, the Margaret Sanger Award, and the Lucille B. Giles Award.
Sarah was predeceased by her beloved Bob and two brothers, Richard Brownlee and Harry Brownlee. She is survived by her sister, Frances Parker; two sons, James R. ("Jamie") Bryant III (Lisa) and Frank L. Bryant (Anne); seven grandchildren: Brownlee Bryant, Robert Bryant (Kari), Caitlyn Cotton (Robert), Grace Bryant, Mary Bryant McLanahan (Matt), Frank L. Bryant Jr., and Sarah Bryant Honeycutt (Tyler); eight great-grandchildren: Lindsey Cable, Logan Cable, Rilynn Bryant, Lillian Longhi, Ivey McLanahan, Harrison Honeycutt, Ellison Cotton and Lowen Cotton.
The family also wishes to express our gratitude to the caregivers who loved and cared for Sarah in the past two years: Loretta Cousar, Sabrine Williams, Tamelia Cousar, Christine Luke, Ava Bolton and the late Frank Hayes.
Due to the current restrictions, there will be a private service for immediate family and a memorial service at a later date.
If anyone wishes to remember Sarah, a gift to Planned Parenthood or the Florence Crittenton Foundation would please her.
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