Born at home on Bryant Rd Lakeland, Florida January 12, 1939, to Werner Bethel Bryant and Mattie Louise Barksdale Bryant. He grew up on Bryant Road working the family farm, growing strawberries and running a small dairy. He attended Kathleen High School. His first job off the family farm was for TJ Oxford Cattle Co, he then went on to Oxford Lumber Company. Next, he started working for a fertilizer company, Edenfield & Seal in Lakeland, Florida where he learned to spread fertilizer. Because of his strong work ethic and good relationships with customers when the Edenfield family was in a tragic accident at the Sebring racetrack Irvin was given the money and opportunity to own his own spreader truck and start his fertilizer spreading business, Bryant’s Spreader Service in 1960. The business continued on until 2018 when he turned it over to his sons & grandson.
In the early 1970s during the slow fertilizer season, Irvin’s friendships built with cattle ranchers allowed him to improve land and grow watermelons. He grew his last crop in 2004.
Irvin and his family have always been grateful to then men who allowed the use of their land.
On September 6, 1958, he married Joyce Carolyn Johnson. They lived in the Combee Settlement for 37 years where they raised their 3 sons. Irvin and Joyce are members of Gapway Baptist Church. In 2006, they returned to Bryant Road where Irvin lived the rest of the days of his life.
He is survived by his wife, Joyce Carolyn Bryant, sons Robert Sr (Geraldine) Bryant Ronald (Carla) Bryant, and Raymond (Maeghan) Bryant, all of Lakeland, and grandchildren; Wendy, Robert Jr, Reed, and Ryla, and great grandchildren, Makenzie, Parker, Paisley, Avery, Ravi, Willow, Lawson, Waylon, Sutton, Gibson, and Piper, and great-great granddaughter Oaklyn. Brothers; James, Harry, and John and sister Joyce Kendrick.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Werner and Louise Bryant, brothers Wayne and Charles and granddaughter Morgan.
To send flowers or plant a memorial tree in memory, please visit our flower store.
Condolences may be sent to the family at https://www.gentry-morrison.com/obituaries/irvin-bryant.
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