Service celebrates Bryants

There was a cold drizzle and the temperature dropped Saturday as the memory of Irene and John Bryant was revisited. A memorial service was held for the couple at Thos. Shepherd and Son, with more than 175 people attending.

"I think it was an important step in the healing of this family," said Bob Haggard, a friend of the Bryants.

Two of the Bryants' children spoke at the memorial service and memories of the couple were shared by their family and friends. Haggard said the memorial service celebrated the lives of the Bryants.

"You can see the strength of character of the parents in their children," added Haggard.

The body of Mrs. Bryant was found in Transylvania County on Nov. 9 in the Pink Beds area of Pisgah National Forest. Mr. Bryant, 81, was found Feb. 3 in an illegal dump in the Nantahala National Forest in Macon County, Ga. Transylvania County Sheriff David Mahoney said on Feb. 4 that investigators believe the Bryants were killed by Gary Michael Hilton.

Irene Bryant was an avid gardener, quilter, gourmet cook, traveler and hiker. She earned a doctorate in medicine from Washington State College and was a practicing veterinarian in Missoula, Mont.

John Bryant enlisted in the Navy under the V-12 program and went to Northwestern University, earning a bachelor's degree in engineering and a naval commission. He earned a doctor of law degree from Cornell University in 1961 and moved his family to Skaneatele, N.Y., where he practiced law.

John and Irene married on July 9, 1949, in Whitefish, Mont. They retired to Hendersonville in 1991.

"They were loving, compassionate, intelligent people who were in many ways an example of the kinds of people drawn to this community and make Hendersonville what it is," said Haggard. "Their lives are to be celebrated."