Bonnie Ann Bryan; Memaw, Coco 🙂
Bonnie Ann Bryan, best known in her later life as Memaw. Bonnie was born to William Joseph Weldon and June Elizabeth Weldon in Baltimore, Maryland on March 1st, 1950. Bonnie spent most of her life between Maryland and North Carolina. Often in life Bonnie found herself in the rewarding job of mom and wife, though she did dabble in Banquet serving and at one point ran a very successful house cleaning business in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Bonnie was a caring and wonderful mother, to not only her kids, but many of her kids friends and their friends! After she raised her kids, she also took on much of the responsibility in raising many of her grand kids as well. Bonnie was no stranger to heart ache, as she had to bury her Daughter Shannon Lynn Zerby who passed from skin cancer in 2001, her death forever hung heavy on Bonnie’s heart, though she got 3 wonderful grandkids that would allow her daughter’s memory to live on.
After her husband John Richard Bryan passed in 2013, she asked her kids living in Maryland if they would move to North Carolina with her, as it had been a dream of theirs to move back, after they had lived in Tarboro, NC in the late 80’s and early 90’s. After the move, she took roots in Greenville, North Carolina where she bought a house and her and her kids and grandkids lived until she passed after a year long fight with lung cancer on October the 29th, 2025. Before her passing, she unfortunately had to also experience the heart ache of losing her first Son Rusty Sears also to cancer in 2019. Her last few years weren’t only filled with heart ache though, as she got to witness her final grandchild “Kai” born to her youngest daughter Stephanie in 2022, he was a joy to her and a huge reason she fought so hard. With that being said, Bonnie is survived by her children: Daughter Donna Sears, Daughter Jill Sears, Son John Bryan and Daughter Stephanie Matthews, Step Son John Bryan Jr, Step Daughter Robin Bryan, and her treasured Hearts.. her grandkids; Tracy, Breanna, Brittany, Ashley, Josh, Aron, Courtney, Devin, Dylan, Zahid and Kai.
As I write this Memorial, I do it reluctantly. Bonnie Ann Bryan is my mother, and she was the GREATEST MOTHER to have EVER LIVED! And I have been heart broken since her passing, actually since about a week before her passing when she learned that her cancer hadn’t gone away like they hoped, but moved to her liver instead. I was with her in the hospital room when they seen the cancer on her liver and broke the bad news to her. See, she had been fighting the cancer like a champ since basically October of 2024. And September, she rung the bell following her last radiation treatment, followed by good news from her Doctor, that her spots were shrinking and she was winning her battle. She couldn’t wait until her next appointment in hopes to hear the words “you are cancer free”. But, unfortunately a week before her next appointment, she could tell something was wrong, and that day we found out it was something no one was expecting or wanting to hear. I am the loving and caring individual I am today because of her, she too is a huge reason why we are putting this food forest together. I miss you and love you MOM! I know you were never able to come see the property, and though I knew I was gonna do a Memorial Tree for you in the Food Forest I told you about… I never expected it to be this soon. I wanted you to visit it in person first. I can’t wait to plant your trees!
Memorial Trees; Peach and Apple Trees
Tree photos not available yet. Photos will be available when trees are planted in Fall/Winter 2025