Tommie Bryan

Tommie Myers Bryan, 90, of Franklin Township passed away on Oct. 6, 2015 at Stonebridge at Montgomery, an assisted living facility in Skillman, N.J. Born on Nov. 26, 1924 in Chattanooga, she was the daughter of the late Thomas and Mamie Myers. She attended the University of Chattanooga, an excellent student who graduated in 1944 with a BS in Chemistry in only three years instead of the usual four. She also received an MS in Psychology from Rutgers University in 1966. Tommie was employed by Combustion Engineering for a short period, and then came to New Jersey to become the Technical Librarian at DuPont for nine years at their Parlin, N.J. plant. She married Wilbur L. Bryan in September of 1947 and the couple purchased a country home in 1953 along the Delaware and Raritan Canal in Franklin Township, where they resided for 57 years. She quickly became active in local affairs, teaching second grade in the township public schools from 1955 to 1960. She also became one of the founders of the Villagers Theater group in 1960 and participated in a number of plays over the years. She was honored in 2006 with the Tommie Bryan Villagers Founders Award with her picture plus a plaque displayed in the lobby of the theater. In 1981, Tommie developed and conducted a business called Learning and Living, which offered courses in self-management and communications, and wrote a manual/workbook for use in these courses. She added seminars in organizing in 1988 and renamed her firm The Organized Way to Reflect Specialization in this field. She was a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and the New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners. Surviving are a number of cousins in the Chattanooga area. One in particular is Judith Shirley of Soddy-Daisy, who kept her abreast of local events. She made several trips to attend such affairs as her 50th high school and college reunions. A grave-side commitment will occur at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 16, at the Old Tennent Cemetery, Tennent, N.J.