Joseph Bryers

Joseph Bryers was born in New York City on Washington’s birthday (February 22nd) in 1926 to Italian American parents. He was the youngest sibling to Emily and Charles. At a very young age, Joe’s biological father left the family and Vera, Joe’s mother, eventually met and married Walter Bryers.

Times were rough in New York in the early 1930’s and the family migrated west to California to start a new life. The parents and 3 kids, plus all the belongings that would fit in their 1929 Nash, navigated the roads from New York to Los Angeles in the dead of winter in 1936. The Bryers lived in several places while trying to get established in Los Angeles. One of the more interesting was the Midway Auto Camp located on a very sparsely populated Sepulveda Blvd just north of Culver City. They would eventually settle in their home on La Fayette Place in Culver City in the mid 1950’s.

Joe completed High School at Hamilton High and went onto work in a number of different jobs until joining the Merchant Marines during the Korean War in the early 1950’s. In the 1960’s and 1970’s Joe, and his brother Charlie, could often be found at some of their favorite places, Santa Anita and Hollywood Park race tracks. Another favorite hangout was The Pantry in Downtown Los Angeles. You could find them there most Saturday mornings for breakfast. Joe also loved gardening and had gardening side jobs as well as tending the garden in his backyard.

Joe was fortunate to maintain his independence most of his life and had wonderful neighbors and friends that helped look out after him in his later years. He was always very grateful for that.

Joe was preceded in death by his mother Vera, stepfather Walter, brother Charles and sister Emily. He is survived by his nieces Cathy and Jackie and nephew Ron.