John D. Bryant

John Davis Bryant died in late October 2007 while hiking on a favorite woodland trail in the Pisgah National Forest in Western N.C. Irene, his wife of 58 years, died with him.

John Davis Bryant, Jack to friends, was born on Oct. 29, 1926 in Princeton, Ill., to mother Lillian, an English teacher, and father, Louis, a professor of horticulture. He grew up in Ft. Collins, Colo. He enlisted in the Navy at 17 and, under the V-12 program, went to Northwestern University to earn both a BS in engineering and a naval commission in 1946. During the war, he served aboard the destroyer Cecil in the Pacific, witnessing two atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll. He left active duty in 1947 and the naval reserves in 1964. He worked in India for a year, then joined the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in 1948 on the Hungry Horse Hydroelectric project in Montana.

On a blind date, he met veterinarian Irene Woods and they wed on July 9, 1949, in Whitefish, Mont. They were to raise four children. After working on hydroelectric projects in Denver and Massena, N.Y., he earned a doctorate of law from Cornell University in 1961. The family settled in Skaneateles, N.Y., where he entered into private practice. In 1972, he co-founded the Syracuse, N.Y., construction law firm Bryant, O'Dell, and Basso. He was town attorney for Skaneateles for almost 30 years. He was member and past president of the Association of Towns of New York, member of the American Bar Association and a licensed professional engineer. An avid hiker, during the 1980s he end-to-end hiked the 2,145-mile Appalachian Trail.

He and Irene retired to Hendersonville in 1991. They traveled extensively in Europe, North America and New Zealand. Their Christmas cards with self-portraits from adventurous trips were a delight to receive.

He is survived by a daughter, Holly Bryant of Palm Bay, Fla.; sons, Terry Bryant of Lawton, Okla., Marc Bryant of Erie, Pa., and Robert Bryant of Austin, Texas; and 11 grandchildren.

A memorial for both John and Irene Bryant will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 29, at Thos. Shepherd's Church Street Chapel. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the following organizations: Skaneateles Ambulance Volunteer Emergency Service, 77 Fennell St., Skaneateles, N.Y. 13152; Public Radio WNCW, P.O. Box 804, Spindale, N.C. 28160; the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, P.O. Box 807, Harpers Ferry, W.Va. 25425. An online register book is available at www.thosshepherd.com.

Thos. Shepherd & Son Funeral Directors and Cremation Memorial Center is in charge of the arrangements.