Dorothy Irene Ridings Bryan, died on Dec. 7, 2012 in Stillwater, Okla.

Family will greet friends on Sunday Dec. 9, 2012 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Strode Funeral Home.

Funeral Services will be Monday Dec. 10, 2012 at 10:30 a.m. at Eagle Heights Baptist Church, 2617 N. Jardot Road, Stillwater, Oklahoma, with Rev. Eric Kilborn and Rev. Brent Prentice officiating.

Dorothy Bryan’s greatest wish was fulfilled when the Good Lord called her home to Heaven to be with Him forever on December 7, 2012.

Dorothy Irene Ridings Bryan was born March 9, 1919 to James Edmond Ridings and Ethyl Emily Rush Ridings at Tryon, Okla.  She became a Christian at age seven.  Dorothy later joined the Christian Union Church of Tryon, Okla., where she was active in local and county Christian Endeavor Youth activities.  She graduated from Tryon High School and moved, with her family, to Stillwater in 1937.

She graduated from Oklahoma A&M College in 1941 with a degree in Home Economics.  While in college, she joined the First Baptist Church of Stillwater and was active in Baptist Student Union College activities.  Here, she met her husband, John Pershing (J.P.) Bryan and they were married Nov.  2, 1941.  Theirs was an exceptionally happy marriage.

After graduation from Oklahoma A&M, she worked for Harbour-Longmire Home Furnishings Store in Oklahoma City.

She and her husband, J.P., moved to Enid, Okla., where J.P. was Manager of a Firestone Tire and Rubber Company store.  When the Navy called her husband, they moved to Norman, Okla.  While J.P. was in the South Pacific, their first daughter, Dorothy Darlene Bryan was born in Stillwater.  The births of their other children, Barbara Diane Bryan, John Robert “Bob” Bryan and David William Bryan followed.

Dorothy chose to stay at home and care for the children until the youngest was in the seventh grade.  At that time, she obtained a real estate license and opened the Bryan Agency Real Estate office in Stillwater.  She listed and sold residential properties while her husband, J.P. listed and sold farms and commercial properties from the J.P. Bryan Real Estate Agency.  She was President of the Stillwater Board of Realtors and in 1983, she was President of the Oklahoma Chapter of Women’s Council of Realtors

As a member of the First Baptist Church of Stillwater, she taught a Sunday School class for 16-year-old girls and was Director of the Young Married Sunday School Department.  In later years, she assisted her husband with teaching a Senior Adult Sunday School class.  Dorothy and J.P. were instrumental in establishing Eagle Heights Baptist Church in Stillwater in 1996.

At her husband’s death in 2001, Dorothy retired from real estate, sold her home and moved to Golden Oaks Retirement Village in Stillwater.  She was responsible for scheduling the weekly Golden Oaks Church services.

Dorothy Bryan is predeceased by her parents and her husband, J.P. Bryan.  She is survived by her sister, Betty Jean Campbell and her husband, Harold Campbell of Stillwater.  She is also survived by her children, Darlene Bryan of Dallas, Texas, Barbara Kirby and her husband, Gary Kirby of Owasso, Okla., John Robert “Bob” Bryan and his wife, Theresa of McCormick, South Carolina and David William Bryan and Dana Frank of Stillwater, Okla.

Her grandchildren include Marc Kirby and his wife Liz of Broken Arrow, Okla., David Kirby and his wife, Kelly of Ponca City, Okla., Kirsten Kirby Kilborn and her husband, Eric of Burlington, Colorado and Holly Kirby Chisum and her husband, Craig of Verdigris, Okla.

Great-grandchildren include:  Bryan J. Kirby, Austin Kirby, Cole Kilborn, Hanna Kilborn, Ethan Kilborn, Hagin Bolay, Grace Bolay and Hunter Bolay.

She is also survived by nephew Jim Campbell and wife Beverly, of Stillwater, and niece Lynnette Chapman and David of Stillwater and numerous great nephews.

Interment will be at Fairlawn Cemetery in Stillwater, Okla.

Memorial Contributions may be made in her name to Eagle Heights Baptist Church, Building Fund,  2617 N. Jardot, Stillwater, OK 74075

Condolences may be e-mailed to the family and an online obituary may be viewed by visiting www.strodefh.com