Jean Evelyn Hakes Bryan joined her beloved Clyde at the feet of Jesus, the evening of November 28, 2019, Thanksgiving Day, her favorite holiday. Jean was a loved and important person to many. She was a woman of unshakable conviction. She was a woman of integrity, honor and had a forgiving heart.
Born on February 21, 1929 in Troy, New York to Ralph Cary Hakes and Edna Phillips Hakes, Jean grew up in Watervliet, New York with two younger siblings. She is survived by her sister, Lois Arwine of Torrance, CA and her brother, Alan Hakes of Houston, TX. Jean graduated with honors from Watervliet High School in 1947 and began college at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, TX where she met the love of her life, Finis Alva Clyde Bryan. They were married July 2, 1948 and for almost sixty-five years until Clyde passed away in June of 2013. The couple had four children; three daughters, Kathleen Molpus (Morris) of San Antonio, TX, Cynthia Beckworth (David) of Carrollton, TX, and Susan White of Wimberley, TX; one son, David Bryan (Victoria) of Wimberley, TX. Jean and Clyde also fostered two children. Jean is survived by her ten grandchildren: Jennifer Meers, Bryan Molpus, Emily Fuentes, Meghan Garcia (Mark), Alicia Seaton, Jana Dexter (John), Benjamin Beckworth (Rachel), Isaac Beckworth (Kellee), Tiegan Bradley (Garrett) and Matthew Sanchez (Rachel) and fourteen great-grandchildren: Zoey, Jackson and Judson Fuentes, Isabella, Mark Jr. and Daniel Garcia, Eliana and Titus Dexter, Byrom and Wyatt Beckworth, Lilia Martin, Ava and Owen Sanchez and Violet Bradley.
Jean entered the workforce while still in high school with positions in retail and the telephone company. She performed a variety of office work and later worked as a church secretary. She organized early computer outreach for evangelist James Robison. Dr. Robison perfectly summed, in a letter to Jean, “Your life is a commitment to our Lord, and your work has been loyally dedicated to the cause of Christ.” She also worked as staff relief and volunteer at Baptist Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri. She continued to serve the Lord in each and every community in which her family resided.
During her marriage, she lived in several Texas towns, including Fort Worth, Sweetwater, Abilene, Midland, Big Spring, and Hurst. After Clyde retired in St. Louis, Missouri, the couple spent two years in their fifth wheel RV, traveling the United States collecting stories and life-long friends. They settled in Fulton, TX and became loyal members of Coastal Oaks Church in Rockport, Texas.
All of her life, Jean was an avid reader. It was at Coastal Oaks Church that she established and organized a sizable library, for which she generally read each book placed on its shelves. As the written word was important to her, she competed in state spelling bees until she was sixty-seven. When she wasn’t reading or studying words, Jean enjoyed playing bridge, Scrabble and various board games with friends and family. In her last years, Jean was a resident of Heritage Assisted Living (The June) at Westover Hills in San Antonio, Texas. She made a point of attending her great-grandchildren’s activities for as long as she was able.
Jean leaves behind many family and friends whose lives have been enriched as a result of her influence. When her great-granddaughter, Isabella, interviewed her for a social studies project, Jean shared her philosophy for living: “First, always be honest. No good can ever come from lying. Second, be completely sure and aware of who you marry because it is meant to last a lifetime. Lastly, stay close to your church. Your faith and your church family will always be there for you.” Family wasn’t a word taken lightly by Jean. She ensured her children and their offspring understood that Thanksgiving was a mandatory reunion, complete with an annual family croquet tournament - trophies and all. Organizing such a large gathering year after year was no easy feat, but one she was willing to take on for the sake of family and any friends who would dare spend their holiday with the Bryan Bunch.
Family and friends are invited to attend a memorial service honoring Jean at Sunset Northwest Funeral Home, 6321 Bandera Rd, San Antonio, Texas 78238 on Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 2 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be directed to the benevolence fund at Coastal Oaks Church in Rockport, TX or to the building fund at Crossroads Baptist Church, San Antonio, TX.
