William Bryan

William Ross Bryan, 78, passed away peacefully at his Kingsport home on Wednesday, November 27th, 2019, surrounded by his family.

Bill was born on February 12, 1941, to William Paige and Mary Sue Rothgeb Bryan in Luray, Virginia. Bill grew up in Houston, Texas with his younger sisters Barbara and Bonita.  In 1964, Bill graduated from North Carolina State with a BS degree in Chemical Engineering.  He was a brother of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, where he made lifelong friends.

He joined Eastman in 1964, and worked in New York City and New Jersey before returning permanently to Kingsport in 1971. He retired after 35 years of service.

Bill was a lifelong runner, and a Scoutmaster for many years. He was active in First Presbyterian Church where he was a deacon and operated the church sound system for many years. He was also a member of the Kingsport Jaycees, and served on the Netherland Inn steering committee.

Antique clocks were Bill’s primary passion. He was a beloved member of a regional and national community of clock collectors and friends. Bill was a 47 year member and Star Fellow of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC), and served eight years on its national board of directors. He was president of Watauga Chapter 162.

Bill is survived by his wife Pat Bryan; sons Todd (Emily) of Santa Barbara, California & John Parker of Texas; Sisters Barbara Baynham (Wayne) and Bonita Osborne (Bill) of Conroe, Texas; Brother-in-law Dudley Rowland of Marietta, Georgia; Cousins Ross Webb of Nashville, David Webb of Atlanta, Martina Peschek of Vienna, Austria and cherished nieces and nephews.

A family graveside service will be conducted in Oak Hill Memorial Park on Friday, December 6, 2019.

A memorial service will be conducted 2 p.m.Saturday, December 7, 2019 at First Presbyterian Church with Dr William M Shelton and Rev Sharon Amstutz officiating.  The family will receive friends following the memorial service.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Tennessee Chapter of the ALS Association (http://webtn.alsa.org/) or to the Netherland Inn, 2144 Netherland Inn Rd, Kingsport TN, 37664 (423)765-0937.