Rayburn Alton Bryant, age 73, of Oakland, Tennessee passed away on Wednesday, October 6, 2021. Rayburn was born October 30, 1947 in Brooklyn, AR. He worked from 1970-1979 for Malone & Hyde where he was an operations sales manager. In 1979, he went to work for AutoZone where he was one of the founding members of the starter club for Autoshack/AutoZone, where he opened the first five AutoZone stores. Rayburn retired from AutoZone in 2001. In 2002 he joined PSKB Inc. until his retirement in 2013. Mr. Bryant was a member of Bellevue Baptist Church and a Mason.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Alton and Willie Bryant, a sister, Betty Sue Wheeler and a brother, Donald Bryant. Rayburn is survived by his wife of 42 years, Pat Bryant, his daughters, Lori Hamil (Keith), Deanna Reed (Jim), three grandchildren who knew him as Papaw, Bryant Reed, Bryana Reed, Hannah Hilburn, Stella Salinas and Maggie Salinas four sisters, Norma Lemmons, Brenda Mize (Donnie), Pat Hood, Linda Davis and several nieces and nephews. He also leaves his extended family, David Hilburn (Marcia) Kevin, Michelle, Hunter, Molly, and Sam Mitchell, and Jerri Ann Cooley.
The family will receive friends from 12pm until service time at 2pm on Monday, October 11, 2021, at Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens, 3700 N. Germantown Parkway Bartlett, TN 38133.
Any memorials may be sent to the AutoZoner Assistance Fund, 123 S Front Street, Memphis, TN 38103 or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Pallbearers will be Jonny Lucky, Kevin Mitchell, David Hilburn, Ronnie Fletcher, Frank Frangenberg, and Leonard McCoy.
Honorary Pallbearers will be Bryant Reed, Don Morton, Bobby Fletcher, Larry Hardin and Keith Hamil.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.MemphisFuneralGermantownParkway.com for the Bryant family.
