BRYAN

Dr. George McLeod “Mac” Bryan, 90, passed away peacefully at home Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2010.
Dr. Bryan was the son of Julia Rosy, formerly of Aberdeen, and George Washington Bryan, formerly of Garner, In 1945, Mac married Edna Earl Johnson, for the last 65 years his wife and best friend.
Mac Bryan was ordained at 17 years old, attended Mars Hill and Wake Forest College, and received his PhD in Religion at Yale University. A teacher all his life, he began teaching at Meadows High School near Benson and also taught at Mars Hill College, Mercer University, Washington and Lee in Saint Louis, Davidson College, Stellenbosch University in South Africa, and Ruschlikan, Switzerland.
In 1956 he came to Winston with Wake Forest and for 37 years, he taught Christian ethics at Wake Forest University. Following a strong belief in justice for all in the likeness of the Old Testament prophets and Jesus, he fought tirelessly for civil rights throughout the south helping to integrate several institutions. He also had a genuine faith and strong support for the struggle for liberation against colonial powers in Africa and was friends with several of the new and important leaders of that continent. He helped found Operation Cross Roads Africa, which allowed Americans and Africans to learn and experience each other’s cultures.
He wrote many books about social justice including “In His Likeness, Whither Africa?”, “Voices in the Wilderness” and “These Few Also Paid a Price.”
Mac deeply loved longleaf pines, gardening, horse riding, writing, reading and building. Most of all he loved his family — wife, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
He is survived by his wife, Edna Earl Johnson, his children, Katharine McLeod, of Southern Pines, George Bryan and wife, Ann, of Winston-Salem, Andrew Bryan and wife, Judy, of Chapel Hill, and Julia and husband, George Chukinas, of Philadelphia, Pa. He leaves his grandchildren, Collette Love, Scott Love, Okoth, Nora, and Rita Bryan-Doherty, Andrew, Michael and Robert Chukinas, and Bryan Chappell. He also leaves two great grandchildren, Ellery Love and Sophia Bryan-Doherty.
A graveside service will be held at Mac’s boyhood church, New Bethel Baptist, in Garner, at 2:30 p.m. on Friday. A memorial service to celebrate his life will be at Wake Forest Baptist Church, his home church, Sunday Oct. 3 at 3 p.m., in Wait Chapel on the campus of Wake Forest University.
Memorials may be made to the G. McLeod Bryan Caring Award at Mars Hill University or Wake Forest University Public Engagement for Religion.
Online condolences may be made through www.salemfh.com.