Kerry Bryan
Kerry Lee Bryan certainly lived by his own advice. He always seemed to have the answer and on those rare occasions when he didn't, he instinctively knew the best path for hunting it down.
He passed away near the stroke of midnight on Monday (May 27, 2013), surrounded by his family. He was 69.
It almost didn't matter that there were still so many things to do in such a short lifetime because those things he did do, he did them well.
As if in a celebratory salute to life, the message on his desk was clear. Among the mounds of paperwork, the stuffed pheasants, insect specimens and the Groucho Marx glasses was a book opened to page 18. It read: "Belief 1: I have succeeded."
That is an understatement as Kerry had touched so many lives, with his incredible sense of humor and his unwavering willingness to help others at the drop of a hat.
Born on May 4, 1944, Kerry grew up on a farm in Homer. It was here - with his father, mother and younger sister - where the lessons of resourcefulness and resilience began.
He graduated from Homer High School in 1962 and within six years earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in zoology and botany from Eastern Illinois University. It was in 1964 that he married his high school sweetheart, Sara.
After teaching at a junior college in Illinois, he went on to teach science on the Pine Ridge Indian reservation in South Dakota.
In 1975, he embarked on what would be a lifelong career working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Plant Protection and Quarantine division. He was stationed in San Diego, Chicago and eventually Albuquerque.
Kerry protected the nation's food and natural resources by being an emergency responder to several invasive citrus pests in Texas and California.
Then there was that pesky wheat disease in Texas, the cotton-munching boll weevil and a potato pest in Idaho. He was called upon to manage emergency grasshopper outbreaks throughout the West and worked with the U.S. military in the Middle East to ensure returning equipment was pest free.
He held various positions, including president of the National Association of PPQ Managers. His work sent him to Kuwait, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, South Korea, Brazil and Newfoundland.
Early in his career, he was stationed along the U.S.-Mexico border, where he checked incoming shipments and kept an eye on the tuna boats along the California Coast. His BlackBerry always in his hand, there was no doubt that he loved his job.
Still, he made time for Boy Scout outings with his son and to watch his daughter play softball. There were also camping trips at Otay Lake in California and the building of massive snow forts during Chicago's brutal winters.
Kerry ran the Chicago Marathon one year and competed in running events in San Diego and Albuquerque until he decided to take up mountain biking. A few flips over the handlebars didn't slow him down.
He always pointed to his stash of vitamins, fresh garlic and swigs of apple cider vinegar. If it were up to his heart, it would have kept beating forever. A fan of the Sunday funnies, he never went far without his humor and his hankie.
Kerry loved "Old Green," his classic Ford pickup truck. It was a sleeper, certainly not as pretty as his beloved 1967 Mustang GT. Then there were the animals - from Clifford the pet raccoon to the twin Maine coon cats, Cleo his dutiful Nicaraguan dog and his faithful pup RJ. In Kerry's big heart, there was always room.
His family and friends are forever grateful for everything he was able to do for them, for the lessons he shared and for the outbursts of laughter he caused. The world is now a different place without him. He will be sorely missed.
He is survived by his mother, Charlotte Bryan of Homer; his wife, Sara; daughter, Libby; and son, Zachary and his wife Susan, all of Rio Rancho, N.M.; and sister, Peggy Foskett and her son, Roger Foskett, both of England.
A memorial service will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, May 31, at FRENCH - Rio Rancho location, 1950 Pine Road NE, Rio Rancho, N.M. A reception will follow.
Please visit our online guestbook for Kerry at www.FrenchFunerals.com.
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