Mrs. Alice Jeannene Gay Bryan

Alice Jeannene Bryan, 86, died August 25, 2023, at her home in Sumner, of complications from cancer. Funeral services are planned for 10 am, Monday, August 28th, at Pinson Memorial United Methodist Church, with burial to follow at Hillcrest Cemetery. Rev. Donnie Duncan will officiate. Jeannene was born March 3, 1937 at her parent’s home near Doles. She graduated from Sylvester High School in 1954 and attended Georgia Baptist Nursing School in Atlanta for one year before returning home to work at C & S Bank, in Albany, in November, 1955. She married David Bryan on December 29th, 1957, and their marriage lasted 64 years until his death in 2022. They joined Pinson in August, 1964. Jeannene worked in the nursery for 16 years, and taught Sunday School from elementary ages up to the Maude O’Sheal class. She had perfect attendance in Sunday School for 42 years. Jeannene spent most of her time supporting her husband and four children, and the constant practice made her an accomplished cook, especially with deserts. Her Milky Way Cake was a favorite. She developed recipes just for contest entries and won many ribbons and prizes. She would often mention that her high school home economics teacher thought she would never learn to cook. She had several other hobbies over the years, including raising award-winning Persian cats. She was an avid gardener who delighted in the challenge of growing new plants from seeds and cuttings, and at one point had hundreds of named daylillies tagged in her garden. She was a life-long collector of cookbooks and compiled the “Feeder’s Digest” cookbook at Pinson. What became a herd of donkeys started with a pair that she raised, feeding them by hand. She enjoyed fishing, and picking fruit, which she said reminded her of her childhood. Jeannene and David had four children: Beth, Jimmy, Johnny and Emory. Beth’s children are Bryan Bridges, (wife Johnna, children Anna Beth & Sadie) and Julie Thompson (husband Jared, children Reni-Kate, John Bowen, and Rhett); Jimmy’s children are James Bryan (wife Chelsey, daughter Lillie) and Drew Bryan; Johnny and wife Debbie Bryan’s children are Jason Copeland, (children Lexi and Bynlee), Timothy Bryan (wife Ashley) and Annie Bryan, Jennifer Fowler (husband Dustin, children Emmie Barwick and Boone Fowler), Clint Bridges and Dylan Bridges; Emory and wife Melissa’s children are Rebecca, Kelly, Laura and Emily. Jeannene is survived by two siblings: Lendy Gay, his wife Barbara, and their son Michael, all of Sylvester; and Sandra McDonald, of Albany and her daughter Tori (husband Ryan) Burns, of Cordele. Her brother, Danny Gay, died Monday, August 21, 2023. A day-old sister, Melany Delane Gay, died in 1956. She was pre-deceased by her parents, John D. Gay, and Alice Tison Gay, granddaughter Laura Beth Bridges and grandson John Bridges, and niece Debbie Gay. Funeral services by Banks Funeral Home, Sylvester.

Mrs. Alice Jeannene Gay Bryan

March 3, 1937 - August 25, 2023