Age 90, John Milton Bryant passed away on March 3, 2018 while a resident in the Colonel Robert L. Howard Veterans Home in Pell City, Alabama. Son of John Lessor Bryant and Amis (Busby) Bryant, he was a lifelong resident of Childersburg, Alabama, and a 1945 graduate of Childersburg High School. Immediately upon graduation and, still in a nation at war, he joined the U.S. Merchant Marine, serving on several cruises to ports throughout the Pacific and Caribbean. His ships were often among the first American merchant vessels soon after the war to enter ports previously held by the Japanese. Although his service as a merchant seaman ended in December 1946, he often shared stories of that period in his life (some not suitable for all audiences!). He returned to Childersburg and early in 1947 met Lillie Estelle Fancher of Brierfield, Alabama. After a whirlwind romance, 19 year old Lillie and John Milton married on his 20th birthday, May 3, 1927. Their first son John Milton Bryant, Jr., was born in July 1948 and their second son Robert Stephen Bryant in July 1950. John Milton was among the first to obtain employment with the newly constructed paper mill in Childersburg and stayed with the company, even as it underwent several ownership changes, until he retired from its longest ownership, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, in 1988. Having started as a junior employee, John Milton demonstrated ability, commitment, competence, and flexibility throughout his career and rose to a management position within Childersburg's largest employer. He was ultimately responsible for the paper-making operation's electric power generation and its waste treatment requirements. John Milton and Lillie were among the original founders of Childersburg's St. Mary's Episcopal Church and, in fact, wielded hammers and saws in building the church which stands today. His sons remember fun family vacations to Bon Secour and Gulf Shores on Alabama’s Gulf Coast and Lake Martin, often with many Childersburg friends. Johnny's and Steve's athletic careers at CHS encompassed a 7 year span and John Milton was an active and innovative member of the CHS Quarterback Club in that period. The CHS football team could always count on green and mowed grass! Sadly, he lost Lillie in early 2013 after a long illness and he had to learn how to live alone until he entered the Howard Veterans Home in Pell City, Alabama. He was very thankful for the often and varied support he received from family, neighbors, and friends. In his later years, he had become somewhat of a local historian who could recall Childersburg even before its explosive growth at the beginning of WWII and the building of the paper mill. He is survived by his sons, John M. Bryant Jr. (Linda) and Steve Bryant (Barbara), and several nieces and nephews. Funeral Services will be held March, 8, 2018 at 2pm at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Childersburg, with a visitation one hour prior. He will be greatly missed. Online condolences can be made at www.curtisandsonfh.com. Curtis and Son Childersburg Chapel to direct.
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