Albert Louis Bryant

AIKEN, SC - Mr. Albert Louis Bryant, 81, died Sunday, June 23, 2013. He passed away in the loving embrace of his wife, Mary Lou, and his family. Mr. Bryant, or "Al" as he was known to his many friends around the country and the world, was born March 20, 1932, in Bloomington, IN, the son of the late Fred Enoch and Wilma Nelson Bryant. He was raised in Lafayette, IN and attended Lafayette Jefferson High School before serving his country in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. After his service in Korea he returned to the United States and was assigned as a Military Police Officer with the 226th Military Police Company at Camp Atterbury, IN, where he chose to pursue a career in law enforcement. This decision led to a long, fulfilling and very interesting professional life. Al reported for duty with the Bloomington, IN Police Department on January 20, 1955, and in 1959, he was selected to attend the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Academy, a distinct honor in law enforcement circles. Upon completion of the FBI National Academy, he was promoted to Lieutenant and served as the Executive Officer for the Bloomington Police Department. Al also served as a deputy coroner, managed the department's firearms program and competed nationally with the department's pistol team, all while attending Indiana University in pursuit of his degree. In 1965, he was recruited by the U.S. government, and in 1966 he went to work for the Agency for International Development in the Office of Public Safety. His career with Public Safety led him to the Republic of Vietnam from 1966 to 1968 where he served as an advisor to the South Vietnamese National Police, among other duties. From 1969 to 1971, Al reported for duty in Brazil and worked to help the Brazilian government to create training programs and organizational structure for the federal police force. In 1974, following the closure of the Office of Public Safety program, he served as the Chief of the National Capital Region Planning and Development Branch in the Federal Protective Service's Eastern Region. He later became the Training Branch Chief and participated in the establishment of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, GA. In 1983, Al returned to the Foreign Service and Southeast Asia, serving as an advisor on international narcotics matters for the Department of State. He served in Burma, Thailand and Laos for over 14 years until his retirement in 1997, attaining the rank of Counselor of Embassy of the United States of America. Following his retirement, he and Mary Lou settled in Aiken, SC. Al was active in the church during his overseas assignments, and continued his devotion in retirement as a member of the St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church in Aiken. He is survived by his wife, Mary Lou (Martin) Bryant of Aiken, SC; his daughter Tamara Lou (Bryant) Sullivan and her husband Paul of Aiken, SC; his son Stephen M. Bryant and his wife Gwendolyn of Fairfax, VA; his son Michael F. Bryant of Modoc, SC; his grandchildren Ryan, Kellyn, Tristen, Kenna and Caitlin; and his great-grandchildren, Hunter, Madison, and Benjamin. Al was a man of great fortitude and compassion, with a loving heart and keen sense of humor. Although he accomplished much in his professional life, interacting with diplomats and heads of state, he never forgot his humble beginnings and was quick to remind people he was just a "country boy from Indiana." A beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, friend and neighbor, he will be missed by all who knew him and whose lives he enriched. The family will receive friends at Shellhouse Funeral Home Wednesday evening, June 26, 2013, from 5:00PM until 7:00 PM. A service celebrating his life will be held at St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, 1630 Silver Bluff Rd, Aiken, SC 29803, on Thursday, June 27, 2013, at 11:00 AM. The family is honored to welcome Mr. Victor L. Tomseth, former U.S. Ambassador to the People's Democratic Republic of Laos, who will provide the eulogy. Following the church service, interment will take place at the St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church cemetery with military honors and Masonic Rites. Mr. Bryant’s online guest book may be signed at www.shellhousefuneralhome.com. SHELLHOUSE FUNERAL HOME, INC., 924 HAYNE AVE., AIKEN, SC To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Albert Louis Bryant, please visit our flower store.