Dr. Faye Simonton Bryan, passed away on May 29, 2023 in Clinton, MS. She was born on July 13, 1929 to the late Mr. and Mrs. Neil Simonton in McComb, MS. She was baptized at the age of 10 in South McComb Baptist Church, moved to Starkville in 1942 with her parents and joined First Baptist Church in Starkville. She married Robert D. Bryan on August 25, 1950. During the early years of marriage, she was active in local community organizations such as Magnolia Garden Club and Civic League, taught Sunday School and played piano and organ for Sunday night services at First Baptist Church. She was a member of the MSU Woman’s Club. An ardent student of genealogy, she researched and documented her Simonton family’s history back to the 900’s in Scotland and had researched and published the first edition of her husband’s Bryan family history.
She graduated from Starkville High School in 1947 and went back to teach in 1968. She received her B.S and M.S degrees from Mississippi State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, with an emphasis in Teacher Education. Dr. Bryan’s teaching career spanned Adult Education, vocational-technical education, and high school and university. She developed the first Intensive Business program at Starkville High School, which was selected by the U.S. Office of Education as a model for other vocation business programs throughout the state. At MSU she taught teacher-certification courses to prepare teachers for implementing Intensive Business & Office Programs across the state.
Faye’s happiest times of all was time spent with her grandchildren at Bible School, school plays and birthdays and around the pool in summer. She loved helping her granddaughters learn to sew, quilt, arrange flowers, and play piano. She loved the times spent with them in Florida on summer vacations. She treasured the times they shared each Christmas preparing Christmas-Child shoeboxes to be delivered by Samaritan’s Purse Organization to unfortunate children around the world, and learning about missions. She was an accomplished pianist, and served churches and nursing homes all through her life-time.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Bryan; sister, Grace Hickman of McComb, MS; brother, Harold Simonton of Ohio; daughter, Cynthia Leigh Bryan of Jackson, MS; son, David Bryan of Starkville, MS; and a special niece, Billie Humphrey of Columbus, MS.
She is survived by her son, George Morris Bryan (Monica) of Flowood, MS; grandson, Christopher Bryan (Leta) of Madison, MS; three granddaughters, Cyndi and Heather Bryan, both of Water Valley, MS, and Lindsey Brown of Pearl, MS; and two great granddaughters, Sadie and Sophie Bryan of Madison.
Visitation is scheduled for Friday, June 2, 2023 from 1:00-2:00 p.m. at Welch Funeral Home in Starkville, MS, with the funeral service immediately following in the funeral home chapel. Rev. Dickie Bryan will conduct the service. Burial will be in Memorial Garden Park Cemetery in Starkville.
Memorials may be made to Palmer Home for Children, French Camp Academy, Wounded Warriors or a favorite charity.
