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Obituary for Carlos Junior "Red" Bryan
Our father, Carlos Junior Bryan, passed away in his home in Raleigh, North Carolina, on January 1, 2022. Dad was born on April 17, 1935, to Carlos Jennings and Jewell Bates Bryan in the small town of Ava, Ohio. Our Dad was known to most people by his nickname “Red”, and when asked how he got the nickname, he would say “Well, I had bright red hair!”
Dad was one of the hardest working men you would ever meet. He left school at a young age to work on the family farm and held several jobs as a young man, two of which were working at the Pontiac Garage and the Roxy Movie Theater in Caldwell, Ohio. Dad was a coal miner for most of his life. He started working at Baker and Noon Coal Company and finished out his career working for Central Ohio Coal Company. Dad was always so proud of his job at Central Ohio Coal and gave all the credit to John Rayner, to whom he frequently expressed gratitude for giving him the opportunity to work at the mine. Dad worked long hours as a heavy equipment mechanic and operator, retiring in 1999. He also co-owned two businesses with Lloyd Smith, Bryan and Smith Excavating and Bryan and Smith Car Wash. It was very important for Dad to provide for his family as well as give us an opportunity to graduate from college. Dad did see this dream fulfilled, as both of us graduated from Muskingum University. We will be eternally grateful for his hard work and dedication to his family which provided us many opportunities that he never had growing up.
Dad was married to Sarah Gwendolyn “Gwen” Watson for 35 years. They both loved their Caldwell community. After our mom passed away from cancer, Dad continued living in Caldwell for several years. He spoke often about talking with friends while enjoying breakfast at McDonalds and dinner at Lori’s Family Restaurant. Eventually, Dad sold his family farm and the home he built for our Mom during the last years of her life. He then settled in The Villages in Florida. Moving to Florida in retirement had been a lifelong dream. There he took up the game of golf and enjoyed playing daily. Dad loved living at the Villages and was always ready to share stories about his time there. He would still be living there and showing everyone around who came to visit if his declining health hadn’t brought him to be closer to us in Raleigh in 2014.
Dad was a member of the National Guard and served for several years on the Noble County Fair Board. He was a member of the Main Street Church of Christ of Caldwell, Ohio, and a member of the Wildwood Church of Christ in Wildwood, Florida.
Dad will be deeply missed by both of us and our families. He is survived by daughter Penny and husband Bruce Pate and daughter Amy and husband A. Thomas Perkins, IV. He is also survived by several grandchildren, Liam Nicholas and his wife Keisha, Stone Nicholas, and Lilliana Nicholas, Katie Perkins Gifford and husband Cam Gifford, Tommy Perkins and wife Rachel, and Ellie Perkins. And lastly, two beautiful great-grandchildren, Maxwell Omar “Max” Nicholas and Charlotte Kathleen “Charlie Kate” Gifford. He is also survived by several cousins who call Southeast Ohio home.
A graveside service will be observed Saturday, January 8, 2021, at 1PM at Halley’s Ridge Cemetery in Ava with Kenny Pierce officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice that benefits the community of Noble County.
