Thelma Marie Bryant

March 18, 2021, Thelma Bryant (88 years young), loving mother, sister, aunt, grandmother & great-grandmother passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family. She was preceded in death by her parents, Nelson & Grace (Miller) Lethridge; siblings, Delores Shoats, Geneva Allen & John Lethridge; son Michael Bland; and grandson Jeffrey Bryant Jr. She leaves behind her siblings, Lillian (Bob) Avery and Paul (Sylvia) Lethridge; children, Melissa Bland, Brenda Hammonds, Deena (John) Hughes, Robin Loney, Tracey (Vic) Bryant, Eric (Cher) Bland, Kevin Bryant, Andre’ Bryant and Sean Bryant; a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and many friends, including her cats, Baby, BiBi, and Billy Bob. Thelma grew up in Nelsonville, OH. She later lived in Columbus, OH and Detroit, MI before eventually settling in Columbus, OH. She retired from the Ohio Department of Education Child Nutrition Services after serving 25+ years. After retirement, she enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, working part-time as a tax preparer, and just doing whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. She enjoyed cooking and having family gather at her home. She always had an open door; whether you needed a place to stay or just a hot meal, she was there. Her family and friends are going to miss her amazing cooking. Every Sunday morning, the smell of fresh bread baking in the oven, while she sang to James Cleveland playing in the background, will always be a wonderful memory for everyone. The family would like to express thanks and gratitude for all the prayers, phone calls, texts, etc. that gave us strength to get through this very difficult time. A special thank you to Mt. Carmel Hospice for helping the family make Thelma comfortable leading up to her transition.