Mary Helen Bryan

Mary Helen Bryan of Newnan passed away on December 20, 2024, just a few days after her 99th birthday. She was born in Hapeville, GA on December 3, 1925, to Eugene and Lula Belle Colley. She grew up on Atlanta Avenue in Hapeville. As a girl of 14 years old, Mary Helen was at Loews Grand Theater in Atlanta for the world premiere of "Gone With the Wind" in December 1939. She sometimes would talk about seeing Clark Gable roll up to the red carpet. She graduated from Hapeville HS and was a varsity basketball player. During high school she and her older sister Millie were guitar students of a Hawaiian immigrant named Kimo Kalohi. an early radio performer on WSB radio. They were known as King Kalohi and his Combo. Mary Helen and Millie were the Combo. After Pearl Harbor, in the Spring of 1942, they were part of the USO show entertaining troops at Ft Benning. Just up the street from Hapeville High School is a little drugstore called Chapman Drugs. It was there that she met the love of her life, Charlie Bryan. They married in September 1942 and enjoyed 52 years until his passing in 1994. After Charlie was inducted into the Army Air Corps, they lived on bases in Mississippi, Illinois, Texas, and California. After the war they moved back to Georgia and the Atlanta area where Charlie used his aircraft mechanic skills to get a job at Delta Air Lines. Mary Helen loved her children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She loved her parents and she particularly adored her little sister Margie. Even when they both were struggling from the grip of dementia, they knew each other. "That's my sister," they both would say. She treasured her nieces and nephews. She would do anything for you if you let her know what you needed. She reached out to people that she thought needed a friend or looked like they were struggling to fit in. Mary Helen was a long-time member of the Newnan First United Methodist Church. She loved her church. She was a devoted member of the Friendship/Martha Fuller Sunday School class, loved a good sermon, attended hundreds of music programs, and traveled with the senior citizens group (Fun and Frolic) every chance she had. Music and fellowship were her connections to Jesus and the church. Mary Helen is survived by her children, Charles H. (Chuck) Bryan, Jr. (Karen), Cheryl Colley Bryan, and Craig E. Bryan (Jeannie). She is also survived by her grandchildren, Tammy Bryan Reilly (Mike), Holly Bryan Thompson (Kevin), Heather Bryan, Noel Bryan Smith, Laura Bryan Ivey (Adam), Rachel Bryan Spagna (Anthony), and John Charles (Jack) Bryan. Mary Helen was also blessed with great-grandchildren Alayna, Brennen, Dylan, Wade, Abigail, Judith, and Archer. Visitation will be in the sanctuary of the Newnan First United Methodist on Friday, December 27 at 9:30am. The funeral service will follow at 10:30am with Rev Andrew Chappell officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Newnan First United Methodist Church, Monarch House, or Inspire Hospice. Condolences may be expressed online at www.mckoon.com McKoon Funeral Home & Crematory (770) 253-4580

Mary Helen Bryan

December 3, 1925 - December 20, 2024