Donald Howard Bryant

Donald Howard Bryant was born September 23, 1938 in Boston to Muriel (nee Jones) and William Bryant, and spent his early years in what was then Boston’s ethnically- and racially-mixed West End neighborhood (later demolished to build Government Center) before moving to Roxbury. A quiet child, third of six siblings, and the first male, he was a dutiful, responsible, and dependable son and brother, but not without the mischief and adventures that kept him and his siblings on their toes and entertained while their mother was hard at work. He attended Boston Technical High School, graduating in 1956, where he showed an aptitude for mechanics, and dreamt of opening his own automotive garage. Although that dream proved difficult to achieve for a Black man in late 1950s Boston, his abilities were undeterred, as he kept many a family vehicle on the road. His mobility was undeterred as well: he served in the U.S. Navy as an electrician on the USS Hornet from 1956 to 1959, then returned to Boston as a lab technician at the Polaroid Corporation in Cambridge, MA, for 25 years, helping to develop innovative film at the world’s leading camera company. He married the love of his life, Nona Downes, in 1974, and together they built their own home and moved with their three children to Plymouth, MA in 1977, where they created a stable home in support of their continued success. Donald was committed to his family, staying close and connected, and was known to be generous with his time. He kept well-informed of local, national and world news, and followed in his mother’s footsteps as an avid reader, particularly of Black history. He especially loved to drive, from running errands, Sunday drives, giving rides to family and friends, to taking family road trip vacations. An avid car and motorcycle enthusiast, Donald attended numerous car shows in and around Boston, particularly at Larz Anderson Park, and had several motorcycles, including his cherished classic Indian. His kindness, intelligence and quiet sense of humor made Donald beloved to his family, and to all who met him. He lived in his home in Plymouth until 2019, spending his final years in the care of Bourne Manor Nursing Home, in Bourne, MA.

Donald is predeceased by his wife of 33 years, Nona, (1946-2007), and survived by three children, Taryn, of Plymouth, MA, Tisa, of Los Angeles, and Howard, of Amherst, MA. He is also survived by four grandchildren, Autymn, Ayden, Austyn and Ilan, five siblings, Isabel, of Miami, FL, Barbara, Judy, Paul, of Boston, MA, and Raymond of Durham, North Carolina, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Donald recommitted his life to God and while we will miss him terribly, we take comfort in knowing he is in heaven with the Lord and his beloved wife.