Obituary of Kenneth Rea Bryan

Kenneth Rea "Ken" Bryan, 80, passed away at 9:55 PM on August 29, 2014 at the Pikes Peak Hospice and Palliative Care Center in Colorado Springs following a 3 month fight with lung cancer.He leaves his beloved wife of 58 years, Mary (Evins) Bryan; his son, K. Wayne Bryan (wife Ellen); his daughter, Cheri Ernst (Peter); daughter, Karen Fleming (Phil); sister, Judy (Bryan) Rice (Bill); seven grandchildren, Hayley Reynolds, Drew Bryan, Ben Bryan, Elizabeth Johnson, Andrew Ernst, Philip J. Fleming, and Jennifer Fleming; six great grandchildren, Anna Reynolds, Luke Reynolds, Tyler Bryan, Bentley Bryan, Juniper Johnson, and Kathryn Fleming, with two more on the way; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins; and many close friends made over the years.Ken was preceded in death by his mother, Sadie (Harcrow) Bryan; father, E. Reagan Bryan; mother-in-law, Mary (Haden) Evins; father-in-law, William Wesley Evins; and grandparents.Born in White Flat, Texas, and raised in Silver City, New Mexico, Ken graduated from Silver City High School and briefly attended college in New Mexico before going to work for Kennecott Copper Corporation. While there, he was asked to interview the sister of a friend for a temporary job at the company. He was immediately smitten with Mary. Six months later they were married – a marriage that would last 58 years.Ken and Mary returned from their honeymoon to find a draft notice. Ken accepted the Army assignment, proud to serve his country. The majority of his two years of service was spent at Fort Richardson in Anchorage, which was then located in the territory of Alaska.Following his discharge, and with training he received in the army, Ken returned to work for Kennecott Copper, living in Silver City until he was transferred to Salt Lake City in 1966. He became one of the first computer programmers and systems analysts, choosing a profession that would later span three generations of the Bryan family. Their three children grew up in those two locations.Later in his career, Kennecott sold their operations to Asarco, and Ken finished his career with this new company and living in Tucson, Arizona. Following retirement, Ken and Mary moved to Colorado Springs, living near their youngest daughter Karen.Ken had two wonderful traits which endeared him to the entire family and everyone he came to know. First, he was intensely loyal. This loyalty started with his family and his faith, and extended beyond this to coworkers and friends of the family.His second blessed trait was a fantastic sense of humor. His humor was low key, and grew out of life events with the ones he loved. He loved to tease his family, but everyone who received it knew that it was his way of saying that he loved and cared for them. The humor came out even as he discovered that he had stage four lung cancer and extended to his final hours.Apart from the lighthearted side, Ken was a quiet man who chose to avoid the limelight, preferring time alone with family above all else. His children are known to remark that he had two hobbies: reading and taking care of his wife, to whom he was deeply devoted.The family would like to especially thank the staff at the Pikes Peak Hospice facility for their wonderful care during his final hours. We also appreciate the attitude of care and concern from the doctors and staff at Penrose Cancer Center who were such a help, particularly in the early stages. In lieu of any flowers or gifts, we would like to request that donations be made in his honor to Colorado Cancer Foundation or Dr. David Jeremiah at Turning Point Ministries.A funeral service will be held on September 6 at 2 p.m. at The Springs Funeral Services at 3115 E Platte Avenue in Colorado Springs. Graveside service will follow on September 8 at 11:15 a.m. at Fort Logan in Denver.Funeral Home:The Springs Funeral Services3115 East Platte AvenueColorado Springs, , COUS 80909 Events Service Saturday, September 6, 2014 2:00PM The Springs Funeral Services 3115 East Platte Avenue Colorado Springs, CO 80909 Phone: 719-207-8855