Shirley Faye Bryant (1936-2018)

Shirley Ann Faye Bryant, 81, passed away on January 25, 2018, at her home with her husband John and son Bob by her side. Shirley had been bravely battling a serious systemic infection for months. Throughout her ordeal she remained committed to her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Shirley fought the infection bravely and without complaint.

Shirley was born February 21, 1936, in Waterloo, Iowa, where she attended Lowell elementary school and Sloane Wallace Junior High. She graduated from West High with the Class of 1954. Shirley attended Iowa State Teachers College and then moved on to Iowa State in Ames, where in 1958 she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics Education. The next year she returned to Waterloo to teach at West Junior High. She was married to John Alan Bryant on June 13, 1959, at the First Congregational Church there.

In 1972, the couple settled in Reno, Nevada, where John, having graduated from the University of Iowa College of Medicine and having obtained a specialization in ophthalmology, began his practice. His position led to Shirley’s membership in the Nevada Medical Society Alliance, which in turn led to her whole-hearted involvement in the numerous charity events sponsored by that organization. Meanwhile she was the attentive and loving mother of three children, all of whom eventually attained their college degrees.

Reno soon proved to be the setting in which Shirley’s creativity and artistic qualities bloomed. Over time, she fashioned a career featuring woven pieces, jewelry, and paintings. Shirley was always on the lookout for unique supplies that could be used in her work, which was sold not only in various local stores in Reno but also at the Nevada Museum of Art. Shirley loved antiques and filled her home with many ethnic pieces.

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, Clyde Albert and Winnifred Cook Faye, and her brother Albert Robert “Bob” Faye. Shirley is survived by her husband John Bryant, M.D, and three sons--David, Robert, and James--all greatly saddened but consoled by her lifelong faith.

No memorial services are planned. Memorials may be directed to the SPCA of Northern Nevada, https://spcanevada.org/.