Keeping his deft humour to the end, from his hospital bed Bryant scanned the family members in attendance and declared, “Well if you won’t leave, I will.”
Bryant died Saturday February 18, 2023 at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital after a stroke earlier this year. He was 82 years of age. In spite of his proclamation, he spent his last days surrounded by family with love.
Born in Toronto to Molly and Jack on July 16, 1940, (Gordon) Bryant Brown lived life on his own terms, fully and full of love. He prided himself on his clean conscience which enabled him to sleep peacefully at night, and power nap anywhere. We gave him the benefit of the doubt.
Bryant will be remembered as everyone’s “best friend”. He had them wherever he went: Toronto, London (Ontario), Whitby, Burlington, Nashville, Penticton, Victoria, Key West and more. He charmed us all with his warmth, good cheer, sharp wit and colourful stories.
The apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Bryant modelled himself after his doppelgänger father. Their sense of humour, story-telling prowess, and generosity of spirit were legendary. Along with Molly, they exemplified for us how to be at once fearless and engaged citizens of the world, and loving human beings.
Bryant’s successful career in business (VisiRecord, Moore, Lawson, Palco, Lofthouse Brass) took a back seat to his life long interests in economics, politics and global affairs. A disciple of the economist John Kenneth Galbraith among others, he sought to understand the economic disparities of the world. He saw the necessity to shift the concentration of wealth and power from a few, to benefit many. He was a self-published author on the topic (An Insider’s Memoir).
He extended his energies after hours for years amongst various political campaigns, volunteering at foot-race events for the London Pacers and Toronto Olympic Club, and playing a leadership role in charities including the London Library Board and Oxfam Canada. For the latter he attended a reception hosted by Governor General of Canada, Jules Léger in 1975.
In the late 1960’s, his long-haired hippy friends were being arrested for possession of marijuana. Because of this, as a clean-cut businessman he believed he could stand up to the establishment and make change. He spearheaded the early days of campaigning for the legalization of marijuana and made the issue a national concern.
Following the devastating destruction of the Twin Towers, Bryant pursued the untold stories tied to the political and economic interests motivating the attacks. He was appalled at how dark and evil human beings could be. In his retirement, serious theoretical and complex questions were his “Wordles”.
As at home in the kitchen as the board room, Bryant enjoyed baking quick breads and hermit cookies, brewing up soups and simmering casseroles of boeuf bourguignonne. When he wasn’t the lead, he would always pitch in. He tasted his way through gourmet kitchens wherever he went - be it Toronto, Nashville, Mombassa, Paris or Hong Kong.
The family joke was Bryant’s chosen motto: Eat, Drink and Remarry. Bryant and Mary Lofthouse met at university and married in their early 20’s. Together they raised two children, Carrie Brown (Lurana Kruchten) and Mike Brown (Teresa Brown).
Some time after separating from Mary, Bryant met and eventually married “the girl/woman next door” - he spent a few years with Sharon Turner.
And after a few business trips to Nashville where he donned a cowboy hat and boots and learned the 2-step, he charmed Paula Etheridge onto the the dance floor of life. He was a loving father figure and role model to us all including Jenni, Chris and Jaden LaRocque. It was with his dear Paula that he exceeded his promised “ten year guarantee” to 25 years.
Bryant defined himself as the family elder, sharing his wisdom, and sometimes made up a little stories. He was deeply loved and will be missed by all of us, including Amanda, Ryan and Taylor O’Malley. Uncle Bry will also be remembered by Sacha Cook (Matt Skinner), Rohen and Kira, Cameron Cook (Jen Akimoto-Cook), Amelia and Alex.“Boo Boo” leaves his loving sister Heather Cook to keep the stories alive (and true).
We thank the staff at the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital for their outstanding, compassionate and comprehensive care. The family will hold a private celebration of his life in the coming months. No public event is planned.
A committed community supporter, Bryant would no doubt appreciate your contributions to the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, the Burlington (or your own) Public Library, or to a charity of your choice. And of course, he’d encourage you to support the local economy wherever you are - namely at the local pub. Cheers, Bryant.