Finley Bryan

Finley Smith Bryan - ELIZABETHTOWN

Finley was born May 19, 1927 in the Center Road Community to Docia and Eddie Bryan. At two, he survived polio and then spent the next 86 years making sure he never missed an opportunity for an interesting experience, particularly if it involved a vehicle moving at speed. At his beloved Bladenboro High School (Class of '44) he played trumpet in the marching band (riding a bike in step). He beat Hoover Dowless's car in a quarter mile race with his '49 Ford, adored his 1951 MG-TD, rode a series of Honda motorcycles in the 70's and flew an Ercoupe 415C in the 80's. Beginning in the 80's and 90's, he could be seen frequently in downtown Elizabethtown in his motorized wheelchair, running errands across several city blocks.

While he was courting Christine Johnson, the couple spent a madcap day driving from Elizabethtown to Blowing Rock and back again, prudently obtaining photographic evidence of their destination for a non-too-pleased future father-in-law. Christine learned to drive on the return trip. This set the style for many journeys in their subsequent married life. They shared a love of history and travel: their work toward producing the Bladen County History was a proud joint achievement, and their trips to Canada, England, Natchez Trace, and Bath, NC gave them much joy.

One trip to Warm Springs, Georgia carried particular meaning, linking back to a memory of President Franklin Roosevelt's 1936 visit to the Gastonia Polio Hospital when 9-year old Finley was a patient. President Roosevelt sent large bouquets of roses to each ward, with enough roses to press one for each child. Finley kept the rose and followed Roosevelt's stubborn determination to prevail despite limitation, and later thoroughly enjoyed coaching friends who were coming to grips with their own "mobility challenges."

Finley was proud to bursting of his three children, Beth, Finley Anne, and Chuck. He gave them the confidence to think they could do anything, though he may occasionally have regretted it. He loved his family boundlessly, and they knew it and could count on it. He was exceedingly proud of his former students from Elizabethtown HS (1966-1971), Bladen Central HS(1969-70), East Bladen HS (1972-87), and Tar Heel HS (1949-50). He was a past member and past President of Elizabethtown Jaycees and the Elizabethtown Rotary Club. He attended Trinity Methodist Church in Elizabethtown beginning in the 1950's and for the last 9 years attended worship at Wesley Pines Retirement Home.

In recent years as post-polio syndrome ravaged his body and Alzheimer's savaged his mental abilities, he worked to maintain his links to the world. He read and watched TV with captions. He worked to retain his connection with the people he loved: smiling, kissing hands, displaying grace and humor and gentle kindness.
He was able to do this due especially to the day-to-day love and care of his wife Christine and son Chuck, and the support and assistance of the caring staff of Wesley Pines.

He is survived by his wife, Christine Bryan, his daughter Beth Bryan, son-in-law Norman LaBrie, daughter Finley Anne Bryan, son Chuck Bryan, daughter-in-law Ellen Bryan, sister Dorothy Love, brother Bill Bryan, sister-in-law Dot Johnson, six nieces and nephews, and their children and grandchildren.

A service of Death and Resurrection will be held on Wednesday, December 30, 2015 at 3:00 p.m. in the Ruby Doub McMillan Chapel at Wesley Pines Retirement Home with visitation to follow. Interment of ashes will be at Old Trinity Cemetery at a later date.