One Good Man

Jeff and Peggy Bryant 3-17-10

Nine years ago this month, I met a wonderful man who changed my life forever. It was a bad time for me. I had just filed for a divorce. I had three young children ages 1, 4, and 5. I was attempting to re-enter the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom for several years. My self-esteem was pretty low and I was worried about moving forward as a working single mom. The world was heavy on my shoulders.

And then I met Jeff. He took a chance on me, having more confidence in me that I did in myself. He believed in me. He built up my self-esteem, both as a worker and as a mother. He strengthened my faith in myself and in my Heavenly Father. He wrapped his love around me and my three little girls. He gave me the confidence to keep moving forward.

Every morning, Jeff and I would spend an hour counting sales receipts and money from the previous days' sales. Those were my favorite times of the work day. I got to know Jeff in a very personal way. He told me stories about his life as a Chicago cop, of his conversion to the Church, and the twists and turns his life took that led him to that chair beside me counting money every morning. I learned of his strength of character, his faith, and his devotion to family....a family circle that grew to include my children and me. Jeff and his wife Peggy regularly introduced me as their daughter and my children as their granddaughters. To this day, my girls consider Jeff and Peggy "our third grandpa and grandma." They are both very generous and loving people.

After working for Jeff for four years, I moved on to other opportunities but I stayed in touch with Jeff and Peggy. I periodically had lunch with Jeff and other friends who still worked with him. My girls and I sometimes went to visit Jeff and Peggy at their home. (My girls especially loved their menagerie of animals!)

Jeff retired in May 2009. He and Peggy spent the summer of 2009 traveling across the country. I think Peggy said they traveled 8,000 miles in their RV in four months. Even while on the road, Jeff took the time to write e-mails and keep in touch.

Last November, I received a call from Peggy telling me that Jeff was in the hospital following heart surgery. Jeff had some pretty serious post-operative complications. I visited him in the critical care unit many times over the course of the next month. We had some of those wonderful talks that I have missed so much. Even when hooked up to a dozen cords and machines, Jeff was still a wonderful companion and spent more time asking me about me and my family than talking about himself and his health. He strengthened me when I had gone to the hospital to strengthen him.

On March 17, Jeff and Peggy came by my house one last time. They were preparing to move to Alabama to live closer to Jeff's brother. They had spent quite a bit of time there last summer and the climate in Alabama was much better for Peggy's health. Jeff talked about the house they planned to purchase there and he anticipated a relaxing retirement.

On April 1, they left for Alabama. Unfortunately, Jeff never had the chance to enjoy the relaxing retirement he had planned. He passed away on April 10. His funeral is today.

I cannot begin to describe the sense of loss I feel. My children are devastated. I can't stop crying. It is like a member of our family has died and we feel a sudden void. In an attempt to help them cope with the loss, I asked my children to share the happy things they remember most about Jeff and Peggy. I would like to share some of their thoughts here.

"Jeff let us stay with you at work on days that we were sick or didn't have daycare."

This didn't happen often, but occasionally I would take a sick child to work when we were shorthanded. I would put the child to rest in Jeff's office or one of the other offices. Most of the time they just slept the day away. I was in reception area and could hear them if they needed me, but I could still cover the store. As a single mother, it was a relief not to miss work when the kids were sick, especially when I first started working and didn't have any paid time off.

"Jeff and I are the same age." (Heather)

When Jeff first met Heather, he told her that they were the same age. Their birthdays are one day apart on the calendar, but Heather was 4. Jeff was 58. Heather didn't believe they were the same age until Jeff explained the math to her: 5 + 8 = 13. 1 + 3 = 4. They were both 4. After that, Heather could always remember Jeff's age because it matched hers. At the time of his death, Jeff was 67. 6 + 7 = 13. Heather is 13.

"They treated us like family."

"He loved us like a grandpa."

"Being with them feels like a heavenly place because they love us so much."

I know most people who will read this blog entry never had the opportunity to meet Jeff. You missed out. He was truly a good man, a faithful, honorable man. And he will be greatly missed.

Jeff D. Bryant, Jr.

January 23, 1943 - April 10, 2010