Michael G. Bryant

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Gary Richard, his brother-in-law Buck Hutson, and nephew Jeff Hutson. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Linda Dunham Bryant, daughter Kerri Erb (Jeremy Erb), daughter Katherine Bryant (Paul Sullivan), granddaughters Scarlett and Ellie Erb and Mia and Lily Sullivan, sister Pat Hutson, brothers, Ronnie (Nancy), Kim, and Randy (Nancy), and a large and loving extended family of in-laws, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

While at UNC Pembroke he forged lifelong friendships as a member of Pi Kappa Phi. He was a member of Macedonia United Methodist Church where he served on the Building Committee.

He enjoyed an expansive career, where he modeled a strong work ethic and the importance of public service. This began in childhood with a range of jobs to make pocket money, and grew professionally at Big Star, where he met his beloved wife Linda on Aisle 6. His career took him from the Big Star (Grand Union) Home Office to the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, from which he retired after many years of dedicated service. Friendships built during his career continued into retirement, enjoying gatherings with his fellow “ROMEOs.”

Throughout his life he cherished times with family and friends, cheering on his favorite sports teams, the North Carolina Tar Heels, Washington Commanders, New York Yankees, and many NASCAR drivers. He took pleasure in learning about history with a penchant for World War II, building model boats, airplanes, and race cars, and entertaining his children and grandchildren with model trains. He could often be found listening to his favorite albums, influencing a love of classic rock music in his daughters.

Most loved were times with his family, including many memorable vacations enjoying the beautiful beaches and mountains of North Carolina. Playing Go Fish with his granddaughters and Spades late into the night on beach trips were two of his favorite pastimes. He served as the principal when playing school, sitting in his office and dealing with any discipline problems, a tradition carried forward as he heard about who was a mischief maker. He had a tender heart for animals with many finding a home with him throughout the years. His loved ones will carry his memory forward.

The family would like to thank his treatment teams, specifically those at UNC Rex Cancer Center and Transitions Life Care, as well as the support of neighbors, friends and family throughout this journey.

The family will receive friends on Wednesday, March 19, 2025 from 10:00 to 11:00am, with a memorial service following at 11:00am at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home in Cary, North Carolina.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the organization of your choice in support of cancer research, animal welfare, or disaster recovery in Western North Carolina.