Lt. Colonel Arnold M. Bryant, 86, of Brunswick, passed away June 20. Arnold was born in the Deering section of Portland on Nov. 2, 1923, son of the late Harold and Ruth Sparks Bryant. He previously resided in Hooksett, N.H., Portland, Thomaston, Rockland and Union.
He attended Portland schools and was a graduate of Deering High School, Class of 1941. In November 1942, Arnold enlisted in the U.S. Army and completed 29 combat missions as a Lead Navigator, flying into France and Germany with the 8th Air Force, 34th Bomb Group (B-17 Heavy) stationed in Mendelsham, England.
He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal with Four Oak Leaf Clusters and the ETO Ribbon with Four Battle Stars and the 34th Bomb Group Citation. In October 1945 he separated from the service as a First Lieutenant, and retired as Lieutenant Colonel in 1983 with 23 years of honorable service in the U.S. Army Air Corp.
After his military service, he entered the office supply field at Loring, Short & Harmon in Portland, Huston Tuttle in Rockland and was part owner with Jack (John) Russo for seven years.
As a sales representative with National Blank Book Company (division of Dennison Mfg., Co.) for 19 years in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, he retired in 1985 and then worked at Office Dimension in Manchester for seven years.
His hobbies included golf, cribbage, woodworking projects and spending time at his “camp” on Alford Lake in Hope. He especially loved the various felines in his life most notably, Buffy, Jingles, Milo and Casey, all big yellow and white fellows.
He was the Town Clerk for the Town of Thomaston from 1951-1954, past Commander of the American Legion Post-Thomaston, Member of the Knox County 40 & 8, former director of the Rockland Chamber of Commerce, former member of the Rockland Rotary Club and the Manchester New Hampshire Rotary Club. He was a member of the Plausawa Country Club of Pembroke, N.H., the Rockland Club and former member of the Candia Woods Golf Links of Candia, N.H. He was a life member of the 34th Bomb Group Association and the Air Force Association and Selman Field Navigation Historical Association.
He was predeceased by his wife, Lois Clark Bryant; and son, Daniel J. Bryant.
Survivors include his children, Jean Chadwick and husband Dick of Nobleboro, and Rebecca Schulz and husband Bob of Hooksett, N.H.; daughter-in-law, Diane Bryant of Warren; brother-in-law, Percy Clark and Marlene of Port Orange, Fla.; grandchildren, Lynn Farrin and husband Wayne of Jefferson, Jon Chadwick of Nobleboro, Kevin Bryant and wife Junco of San Carlos, Cal., Kelly Bryant and husband Todd Dubnicoff of San Francisco, Cal., Heidi Voltz of Dover, N.H., and Catherine Larochelle of Manchester, N.H.; and eight great-grandchildren.
Private family graveside service will be held at Maplewood Cemetery in Fairfield.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Arnold’s memory may be made to Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, P.O. Box 4072, Pittsfield, MA 01202; National Parkinson Foundation, Gift Processing Center, P.O. Box 5018, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5018 or Lincoln County Animal Shelter, P.O. Box 7, Edgecomb, ME 04556.
Services are entrusted to Hall Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 949 Main St., Waldoboro.
