Janet Elaine Bryant

Jan was born May 28, 1941, in Lakeview, Michigan, to Martin and Irene (Dare) Snider. The oldest of nine children, Jan learned at a young age what it meant to care for others. She was like a second mother to her younger siblings, and in countless family photographs from those years, Jan can be seen with a baby on her hip. Responsible, dependable and caring from the very beginning, those qualities would remain a part of who she was throughout her life.

Around 1950, Jan’s family moved to Remus, Michigan, where her grandparents and other extended family lived. She graduated from Remus High School in 1959. As a young woman, Jan dreamed of becoming an airline stewardess, but the height requirements of the time had other plans for her.

Jan went to work at the Pentagon. It was during this chapter of her life that she met Dave Bryant, a young man serving in the United States Navy who would become the love of her life.

Jan and Dave were married on April 11, 1964, in Jacksonville, Florida. Their life together took them from Florida to Michigan and later to Colorado and Tennessee before eventually bringing them back to Florida. Orlando became home, and Jan spent the last 46 years there.

Together, Jan and Dave raised four children: David, Lorie, Michael and Jeffrey. They shared 47 years of marriage before Dave’s passing in 2011.

Throughout her working years, Jan spent several years at St. Andrew Catholic Church and later served as manager of a St. Vincent de Paul resale store.

Jan had a way of making a house feel like home—not only for her own family, but for everyone who walked through her door. She was a wonderful host, and over the years countless family members and friends came to stay with her, sometimes for a week and sometimes for a month. Her home was rarely quiet. It was filled with children, grandchildren, relatives, friends and neighborhood kids, and there was always room for

one more.

Near the front door sat Jan’s guest book, and if you visited, you were expected to sign it. She carefully kept track of who came to see her and when—a simple tradition that today serves as a wonderful reminder of just how many people passed through her door and became part of the life she created there.

Jan believed in quality over quantity. She didn’t need to own a lot, but what she had was chosen carefully, cared for and made to last. It was a philosophy that reflected the thoughtful and intentional way she approached much of her life.

She loved playing cards, spending time with family and, most of all, being with her grandchildren. To them, she wasn’t simply Grandma—she was “Granda,” and she was the very best one.

Christmas at Jan’s house was something to behold. She loved decorating, and she did it wholeheartedly. Her home would be covered in Christmas decorations, with a tree so tall it seemed to touch the ceiling. Family members will especially remember the lead icicles she carefully placed on the tree, one by one. It took patience, but Jan wouldn’t have had it any other way. Christmas at her house wasn’t simply a holiday; it was a tradition and an experience her family will carry with them.

Although Florida was home for more than four decades, Jan never stopped being a Michigan girl at heart. She returned to Michigan at least once a year for family reunions, birthdays and visits with the people she loved. Sometimes she came to see Michigan’s fall colors; other times she wanted the chance to build a snowman. Whatever brought her north, Jan tried to fit in as many visits with family and friends as she possibly could before heading back to Florida.

Jan is survived by her children, David Bryant, Lorie Close and Michael Bryant, all of Orlando, Florida, and Jeffrey Bryant of Woodsmere, Florida; her grandchildren, Gavin Bryant, Christopher Close, Ashley Close, Austin Close, Tate Bell, Victoria Bell, Ty Bell, Malaina Bryant and Jeffrey “Max” Bryant; and her sisters, Pat

Anger of Stanwood, Michigan, Lavina (Jim) Dice of Mecosta, Michigan, Gidget (Jon) Turner of Big Rapids, Michigan, Mary (Walley) Garcia of Cadillac, Michigan, and Barbara (Larry) Landreth of Big Rapids, Michigan; her great grandchildren; Jasper, Kai, Emmitt, and Penelope and her life long friend Kathy Keller.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 47 years, Dave Bryant; her mother, Irene Yax; her father, Martin Snider; her sisters, Sharon “Cricket” Whetzel and Irene “Marti” Snider-Troupe; her brother, Martin “Lucky” Snider; her in-laws, Charles and Doris Bryant; and her in-laws; Steven, Michael and Penny.

A funeral service for Jan will be held at Resurrection Catholic Church in Orlando, Florida, on September 5th 2026 time 11:30am. Immediately afterwards, everyone is invited to Jan’s, Orlando home to continue the celebration. Jan style. And because part of Jan’s heart always remained in Michigan, her story will fittingly

come full circle there. A Celebration of Life will be held in Michigan in the summer of 2027, when Jan will be laid to rest alongside her husband and parents. Additional details will be shared with family and friends at a later date.

Jan’s life was measured not by the things she accumulated, but by the people she welcomed, cared for and loved. Her door was open, her home was full, and her family was at the center of it all. From the little girl with a baby sibling on her hip to the beloved “Granda” surrounded by grandchildren, caring for others was woven throughout Jan’s life.

The guest book by her front door may no longer collect new names and dates, but the countless people who signed it—and the many more whose lives she touched—are a lasting testament to a life filled with family, friendship and love.