Obituary of Robert Bryant

Robert Bryant On January 1, 2011, God decided to call our beloved Bob home. Robert Nelson Bryant passed peacefully at his home, with his family by his side. He was 62 years young, and left a legacy that earned him the respect and admiration of his friends and family. Bob was born in Olympia, WA, on January 28, 1948, to Riley and Helen (Nelson) Bryant. He spent his younger years in Tacoma, WA, until the family moved to Shelton, just before his ninth grade year, when his father Riley became commandant of the State Patrol Academy. Bob graduated in the top 10 of Shelton High School’s Class of 1966. Bob joined the Army and went to basic training at Ft. Ord, CA, in 1966. Then off to Army Security Agency training at Ft. Devens, MA. He was accepted to Flight School at Ft. Wolters, TX, in the fall of 1967, and from there went to advanced flight training at Ft. Rucker, Alabama. Bob was then deployed to Vietnam on November 11, 1968, (Veteran’s Day), returning on November 11, 1969. He was a Slick Pilot with the 129th Assault Helicopter Battalion, providing direct support for Tiger Division in the Central Highlands area of Vietnam. Bob, a master aviator, received the Bronze Star and earned the Air Medal with 22 clusters. Bob joined the Washington State Army National Guard in 1971, and was a member of A company “45” Timberwolves. He was one of the first six pilots from Vietnam to fly the Army’s new Huey helicopters. Bob’s guard unit was among those performing search and rescue operations after the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in May of 1980. He flew Senator Slade Gordon over to view the devastation. In 1990, Bob flew Hueys for the Goodwill Games with the Aero Scouts. Bob was among the first Warrant Officers to achieve the rank CW5 (Chief Warrant Officer, Five) and was among the first part time guardsmen to attend Warrant Officer Candidate School at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Bob retired from the Guard in November 1999, having just shy of 4000 flight hours and a military career spanning 33 years. While in the Guard, Bob attended St. Martin’s College where he graduated magna cum laude in 1974, and then City College of New York for his Master of Public Administration in 1979. While at St. Martins, Bob worked for the State Patrol and later for the Division of Child Support as a support enforcement officer and then Program Manager, retiring in 1999 after 26 years of service. Bob was first diagnosed with melanoma on his 53rd birthday, and entered into a treatment plan called interferon, which lasted 365 days. He was then cancer free for just over 5 years. After the melanoma returned in 2007, Bob was a participant in 4 different clinical trials. He had just begun a new treatment in early December 2010. It was his hope to be the “poster child” for the cure of melanoma, but as a fellow treatment friend mentioned “Bob’s participation could very likely make a difference for future melanoma patients.” He was an inspiration to, not only his friends and family, but also to his many doctors. One of his doctors recently said “Bob, you are an amazing man.” Bob had a lifelong passion for sports, not only as a participant but also as a spectator. He played baseball and football at Shelton High School and continued his love of baseball by playing city ball in his adult years. In addition to baseball, he played competitive tennis with Pacific West Tennis, and during his retirement years, he became a golfaholic. After family, Bob’s next great love was cars and his Harley Sportster. He had more than 75 cars in his lifetime. Among his favorites were his Chevy Impalas. Bob is survived by his “bride” Joyce of Shelton, daughter Tina Guillen (Lawrent) of Susanville, CA, son Rob Bryant (Carrie) of Lacey, stepdaughters Michelle Rogers (Brian) of Olympia, and Gretchen Connell (Lyle) of Tacoma. He was the beloved Papa of Garrett and Danica of Susanville, Brandon and Austin of Lacey, and Savannah and Taylor of Tacoma. He is also survived by brothers Jack (Barbara) of Olympia, Mark (Nicky) of Arizona, and Bill (Gretchen) of Renton, and numerous nieces and nephews and other family members in the Olympia and Shelton area. In lieu of flowers, donations to your favorite charity, or to: www.providencefoundations.org To leave memories of Bob or condolences for the family, please click on "View Guestbook" below.