Nina S. Bryant, 96, former Litchfield resident
April 18, 2024
Nina Sears Bryant, a former Litchfield Country Club resident, died March 23 in Charleston. She was 96.
She was born Sept. 2, 1927, in East Bend, N.C., one of 11 children born to Early Gray Sears and Etta Davis Sears, a tobacco farming family in Yadkin County. In her teen years, Nina moved to Kernersville, N.C., and graduated from Mineral Springs High School. In 1951, she married Marshall G. Bryant in Winston-Salem, N.C. They had met during high school and remained married for 58 years until his death in January 2010.
During their time in Winston Salem, Mrs. Bryant was active in numerous community and church organizations while also raising her children, Linda and Marshall Jr. From 1962 to 1969 opportunities at Bell Laboratories took the Bryant family to Lincroft, N.J., where a third child, Mark, was born.
In 1969, the family relocated to Basking Ridge, N.J., where Mrs. Bryant was active in the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church, the Garden Club, PTA, volunteer work at the Lyons VA hospital and many more community endeavors. In 1987, Nina and Marshall retired to Pawleys Island, where she remained active in the Presbyterian church and was especially supportive of Brookgreen Gardens.
From her humble upbringing in East Bend, Mrs. Bryant eventually traveled much of North and South America and Europe with her husband and good friends. She remained an avid gardener and tennis player into her late 80s.
She is survived by her children, Linda Bryant Reeves (Tony) of Beaufort, Marshall G. Bryant Jr. of Myrtle Beach and Mark G. Bryant of Charleston.
Memorials may be made to Brookgreen Gardens at brookgreen.org.
