Gary was born May 2, 1944 in Glendale to Hobart H. and Tressia Evelyn (Whitaker) Bryant. His father died of a heart attack during January 1956 when Gary was 11 years old.
After high school, Gary went into the military.
Gary joined the Lockland Police Department as a Dispatcher on February 8, 1972. Within a month, he was appointed Patrolman on March 1, 1972. Almost exactly eight years later, after successfully competing on a civil service examination during October 1979, he was promoted to Lieutenant on March 3, 1980. During his tenure, Lieutenant Bryant was an established member of the Hamilton County Police Association Dive Team. He also served as liaison to the Secret Service for President Bush’s visit to Lockland. Lieutenant Bryant retired on July 5, 1993 with 21 years of service to Lockland and several letters of appreciation and commendation, including one at the behest of City Council for a homicide investigation, one for saving a Lockland resident with CPR, one in preventing a suicide in another jurisdiction, one from a Reading Police Chief regarding a barricaded person, and several from administrators of Lockland City Schools.
Lieutenant Bryant also sold real estate for Century 21 and was one of 25 Top Sellers during December 1980. He designed and sold personalized sweat socks in 1983. He owned Al’s Bar in Sharonville for 33 years. And in 1995 and 1997 Lieutenant Bryant was nearly elected to Reading’s City Council.
He was an active member of Disable American Veterans and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Lieutenant Bryant died August 22, 2022 at the age of 78.
He is survived by his sons, Gary H. (Sheri) Bryant, Jr. and Jonathan (Michele) Bryant; grandchildren, Calvin (Mika), Jordan, Tressia, Mary (Casey), Megan, and Maddie; many great-grandchildren, and brother, Sam E. (Pricilla) Bryant.
Visitation will be held 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, August 28, 2022, at Spring Grove Funeral Homes at 8633 Reading Road. A funeral service will be held at 6 p.m.
Memorials may be made to the Clermont County Veterans’ Administration, 4600 Beechwood Road, Cincinnati, OH 45244.
© 2022 – All rights reserved to LT Stephen R. Kramer RET and the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum