William G. ("Bill") Bryant, of Bristol, TN, died August 16, 2010, after a long battle with cancer. He was 66. The son of the late Joseph and Mary Lou Bryant, he was born and raised in Washington County, VA, and graduated from Patrick Henry High School in 1961.
Bill then attended Emory & Henry College, where he was an all-American football player and standout member of the baseball team. He was a member of the Phi Gamma Phi fraternity and had stellar academic credentials. Bill graduated in 1965 and was inducted into the Emory & Henry Hall of Fame in 1971.
After graduation, Bill began a career in coaching. He first went to Galax, VA, to coach and teach at Galax High School. He was head baseball coach as well as an assistant and later head football coach. His teams' successes included multiple district championships and state runner-up honors. In 1977, Bill moved to Marion, VA, to coach and teach at Marion Senior High School, where he remained until 1981. He then began a career as an agent for New York Life Insurance Company, where he was employed until he retired. In retirement, Bill lived in Emory, VA, and finally Bristol, TN.
Survivors include his wife, Cheryl McFadden of Bristol, two sons, Christopher Bryant, of Emory, and Patrick Bryant, of Alexandria, VA, two step-daughters, Lisa Mitchell, of Bristol, VA, and Lara Barker and her husband Nate and one step-grandchild, Lily Claire, of Franklin, TN, two sisters and brothers-in-law, Kate and Paul Huff, of Smyrna, DE, and Betty and Joe White, of Bastian, VA, one brother, Roy Bryant, of Church Hill, TN, several nieces and nephews, and many, many friends, colleagues, former players and students, and admirers. In addition to his parents Bill was preceded in death by two brothers Joseph Russell Bryant, Jr. and Robert Daniel Bryant.
In lieu of flowers, the family request donations to the Emory & Henry College Stadium Fund, a cause dear to Bill's heart. A Celebration of Life Service will be held Sunday, September 12, 2010 at 1:00 PM at the Mason Memorial Fellowship Hall at Emory and Henry College, Emory, Va.. Friends will be invited to share stories and remembrances. Refreshments will be served. Friends may call anytime at the home of Bill & Cheryl at 213 Lovedale Drive, Bristol, Tennessee