Christopher Stringer
Rottingdean
Ceremony Details
The Ceremony for Jean Elizabeth Bryan will be held on:
Friday, 17 January 2025 16:00
Lewes Road
Brighton
BN2 3QB
Live streaming of Jean's funeral available at the following link: Website - https://watch.obitus.com Username: lota1560 Password: 620554
In memory of
Jean Elizabeth Bryan
Born in Treorchy, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Jean Bryan lived a long and full life. My aunt Jeannie was one of the most social people I’ve ever known – she loved people and they loved her. So many places, so many people; and Jean at the center of it all--laughing, listening, enjoying. What better way to remember Jean, than through the recollections of people who loved her.
From Cindy Hacker: “Key movers on the London Jazz scene in the late ‘70s, Joe and Jean Bryan were the centre of the action; where there was jazz, there were Joe and Jean, hosting large tables of fans. Our friendship grew when I worked at the Portman Hotel in London. We had launched a successful New Orleans Jazz Brunch, with Joe and Jean as hard-core regulars. Some Sundays, Joe and Jean invited the entire band back to their splendid house in Belgravia for jazz jams. Heady days! I moved abroad, but we always kept in touch. When back in town, I headed straight for their new venture; the Canteen Jazz Club in Covent Garden. Jean shone as a perfect hostess; always interested in what everyone had to say. When Joe was ill, Jean was a constant; Joe wanted for nothing. I got to know her more during those years and saw how devoted she was to him. Jean was very lucky in the neighbours she had in Brighton; I always said that she probably hand-picked them before allowing them to move in next door. She had an innate capacity to draw people to her and make firm and lasting friends. She loved to sit in her ‘conservatory’ on the 11th floor with a glass of wine and good company; the same also outside niece Victoria’s charming cottage in Long Beach. Those are the two settings in which I will remember her. RIP dear friend.”
From Sandy Ball, Jean’s longtime friend: “I first met Jean 60 years ago, when we worked for IAL, a subsidiary of BOAC and BEA. Working in the airline industry made it easy for us to travel, which we both loved. We travelled a lot together: Singapore, Bahrain, Kuala Lumpur, various European destinations. My husband and I had a timeshare in beautiful Scotland, where Jean and Joe joined us several times. Jean and Cindy joined us for a three-week holiday stay at our house in South Africa. One of our most memorable trips was on the Orient Express to Istanbul! Wonderful times with a great friend.”
From neighbor, Anna Coventry: “Jean just made me laugh. The things she’d say and the way she’d say them! “I don’t want them under my eyelids,” she’d say about certain people, and “Oh, I don’t mean you, dear.” Hilarious. One time, she lost a tooth – it fell on the floor and she called us in to look for it. We were on our hands and knees on the floor and Paul actually found the tooth. “It’s a bit dusty down here,” Paul said. “Well, I don’t look down there, dear,” Jean replied. She made everything special – silly things. She didn’t like to tell people her age. I went to the bank with her once, to get her travel insurance. The lady asked her date of birth. Jean said, “you should never ask a lady how old she is. She brightened up any day.”
From Sherry Diamond: “With eyes that danced, a smile that dazzled, and a wit that was as quick as it was hilarious, Jean was always the life of any party. She was so charismatic that everyone gravitated toward her. She was always a bit of a flirt and had the young men hanging on her every word, wherever we dined. To be in her company was always a joy. She was in every way – to use one of her words – resplendent. She loved to travel, chat, laugh, enjoy a glass of white wine (or two) and an occasional margarita, in just the right glass. She did not like unkindness, vegetables of any kind, and she absolutely did not like goodbyes. The most important thing I learned from her in the 25 years I knew her was that one must always have something to look forward to - a visit with friends, a trip to London, a week in Spain, that keep one going, even in the darkest of times. I try to live by those words. She welcomed me into her home, and more importantly, she welcomed me into her family, and into her light. And it is her light that I shall forever remember. Godspeed, you most remarkable woman."
From Carrie’s and my daughter, Ritz: “When I met Jeannie, I was a teenager. The first thing I noticed was her use of the English language. It was sparkling, witty, filled with vocabulary and lyricism. That's a notable trait to an American kid who likes words. I thought she was amazing. Once, I was taken to her house in Brighton. Everyone was there: Jeannie and Joe, Jean and Mike. These people were in their 70s, and somehow they were impossibly cool. The music was thoughtfully curated jazz; the lighting was low, warm, and intentional. They were tasteful but knew how to party. Jeannie and the rest had maintained their fully formed vibes through decades, all the way from a distant era which I knew nothing about. And that is what I will remember about Jeannie.
She was perfectly delightful, and always entirely herself.”
What a life, Jean!
Thanks for the memories.
xx
From Cindy Hacker: “Key movers on the London Jazz scene in the late ‘70s, Joe and Jean Bryan were the centre of the action; where there was jazz, there were Joe and Jean, hosting large tables of fans. Our friendship grew when I worked at the Portman Hotel in London. We had launched a successful New Orleans Jazz Brunch, with Joe and Jean as hard-core regulars. Some Sundays, Joe and Jean invited the entire band back to their splendid house in Belgravia for jazz jams. Heady days! I moved abroad, but we always kept in touch. When back in town, I headed straight for their new venture; the Canteen Jazz Club in Covent Garden. Jean shone as a perfect hostess; always interested in what everyone had to say. When Joe was ill, Jean was a constant; Joe wanted for nothing. I got to know her more during those years and saw how devoted she was to him. Jean was very lucky in the neighbours she had in Brighton; I always said that she probably hand-picked them before allowing them to move in next door. She had an innate capacity to draw people to her and make firm and lasting friends. She loved to sit in her ‘conservatory’ on the 11th floor with a glass of wine and good company; the same also outside niece Victoria’s charming cottage in Long Beach. Those are the two settings in which I will remember her. RIP dear friend.”
From Sandy Ball, Jean’s longtime friend: “I first met Jean 60 years ago, when we worked for IAL, a subsidiary of BOAC and BEA. Working in the airline industry made it easy for us to travel, which we both loved. We travelled a lot together: Singapore, Bahrain, Kuala Lumpur, various European destinations. My husband and I had a timeshare in beautiful Scotland, where Jean and Joe joined us several times. Jean and Cindy joined us for a three-week holiday stay at our house in South Africa. One of our most memorable trips was on the Orient Express to Istanbul! Wonderful times with a great friend.”
From neighbor, Anna Coventry: “Jean just made me laugh. The things she’d say and the way she’d say them! “I don’t want them under my eyelids,” she’d say about certain people, and “Oh, I don’t mean you, dear.” Hilarious. One time, she lost a tooth – it fell on the floor and she called us in to look for it. We were on our hands and knees on the floor and Paul actually found the tooth. “It’s a bit dusty down here,” Paul said. “Well, I don’t look down there, dear,” Jean replied. She made everything special – silly things. She didn’t like to tell people her age. I went to the bank with her once, to get her travel insurance. The lady asked her date of birth. Jean said, “you should never ask a lady how old she is. She brightened up any day.”
From Sherry Diamond: “With eyes that danced, a smile that dazzled, and a wit that was as quick as it was hilarious, Jean was always the life of any party. She was so charismatic that everyone gravitated toward her. She was always a bit of a flirt and had the young men hanging on her every word, wherever we dined. To be in her company was always a joy. She was in every way – to use one of her words – resplendent. She loved to travel, chat, laugh, enjoy a glass of white wine (or two) and an occasional margarita, in just the right glass. She did not like unkindness, vegetables of any kind, and she absolutely did not like goodbyes. The most important thing I learned from her in the 25 years I knew her was that one must always have something to look forward to - a visit with friends, a trip to London, a week in Spain, that keep one going, even in the darkest of times. I try to live by those words. She welcomed me into her home, and more importantly, she welcomed me into her family, and into her light. And it is her light that I shall forever remember. Godspeed, you most remarkable woman."
From Carrie’s and my daughter, Ritz: “When I met Jeannie, I was a teenager. The first thing I noticed was her use of the English language. It was sparkling, witty, filled with vocabulary and lyricism. That's a notable trait to an American kid who likes words. I thought she was amazing. Once, I was taken to her house in Brighton. Everyone was there: Jeannie and Joe, Jean and Mike. These people were in their 70s, and somehow they were impossibly cool. The music was thoughtfully curated jazz; the lighting was low, warm, and intentional. They were tasteful but knew how to party. Jeannie and the rest had maintained their fully formed vibes through decades, all the way from a distant era which I knew nothing about. And that is what I will remember about Jeannie.
She was perfectly delightful, and always entirely herself.”
What a life, Jean!
Thanks for the memories.
xx
Martlets Hospice
We are no longer able to accept donations via this page. If you would like to make a donation, please contact them directly.
The Donkey Sanctuary
We are no longer able to accept donations via this page. If you would like to make a donation, please contact them directly.
Donations
Donations for Jean Elizabeth Bryan £211.88
Richard Shopland
Martlets Hospice
Victoria Bryan
The Donkey Sanctuary
Iestyn Haberfield
The Donkey Sanctuary
Guides & Advice
See our guides which provide help prior to attending a funeral
