BELFAST – Dennis “Th Bear” Bryant, 55, passed away Wednesday, Ap-ril 27, 2005, at a local healthcare facility. He was born Oct. 12, 1949, in Bangor, the son of Melvin and Hazel (Richards) Bryant. He graduated from Belfast Area High School, Class of 1967. He worked at Truitt Brothers in Belfast before serving with the U.S. Army in Radio Communications in Vietnam. After the war, he attended Northeast Broadcasting School in Boston. Dennis worked for many radio stations throughout the state, including Caribou, Rumford, Bangor and Belfast. Dennis also worked in advertising. Since 1987, he had been a dispatcher for Belfast Police Department and for the Waldo County Communication Center. “Th Bear” began coaching in Biddeford with Little League and football. It was through these early beginnings that he found his love and passion for coaching his children and teams throughout the state of Maine. He also coached Belfast Area High School football since 1989, where he was a former player from 1963-1966. He also umpired softball games and broadcasted play-by-play sports on radio and T.V. He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann Bryant; three children, Michael of Tilton, N.H., Melissa of Belfast, Monica Furrow and her husband, Wally, of Thorndike; three grandchildren, Colby, Alyah, and Draedyn of Thorndike; his parents, Melvin and Hazel (Richards) Bryant of Searsport; siblings, Patricia Dyke and husband, Dale, of Rumford, Douglas Bryant and wife, Sherry, of Bath, Susan Bryant of Belfast and Duane Bryant of Rumford. Dennis is also survived by many nieces and nephews. Friends are invited to call 9 a..m.-12 noon Saturday, April 30, 2005, at the Belfast United Methodist Church, Mill Lane, Belfast, where a funeral service will be held at 3 p.m. with the Rev. David Abbott officiating. Those wishing to make memorial donations may do so to “Th Bear” Bryant Scholarship Fund, 351 Palmer Road, Thorndike, ME 04986. Arrangements are under the care of the Crabiel-Riposta Funeral Home, 182 Waldo Ave., Belfast.
DENNIS ‘THE BEAR’ BRYANT
