In the early morning hours of Friday, August 1, 2025, an angel peacefully escorted the soul of Mrs. Dorothy Ann Gibbons Bryant to heaven to join her loved ones in whole and perpetual happiness. On Monday, August 4, she will be laid to rest, sharing the final resting place of her beloved late husband, Pat, at Shiloh National Cemetery in Shiloh, Tennessee, following a private family graveside service at which Rev. Dale Cohen of First United Methodist Church of Florence will officiate.

Dorothy was the sixth of eight children born to Thomas and Florence Gibbons, arriving prematurely on November 27, 1932. At only one pound and 12 ounces, she wasn’t expected to live; she was even conditionally baptized by a family friend at her home at two days old in preparation to re-enter heaven. But Dorothy defied the odds, thanks to the tedious and heartfelt efforts of her devoted father, who nurtured her through her crucial first few weeks of life.

At age 17, Dorothy answered a calling to a religious vocation and joined the Benedictine Sisters at Sacred Heart Convent in Cullman as a postulant on December 31, 1949. She took the name Sister Mary Eileen as a novitiate on June 25, 1950, made her first profession in 1951, and made her final profession in 1954. While at Sacred Heart, she continued her high school and college courses in the education field, and subsequently taught hundreds of elementary students at St. Stephen’s Parish in Pensacola, Florida, St. Ann’s in Decatur, and St. Margaret’s in Birmingham. After much consideration, prayer, and tribulation and with the support of her family, Dorothy left the monastic life on May 19, 1963, after 13 years and four months of devoted obedience to the order.

Dorothy was reintroduced to the secular world by her beloved brother John David “Mickey” Gibbons and his wife, Eulala “Lulu,” with whom she lived after her dispensation from the convent. Mickey taught her to drive; Lulu showed her how to dress, fix her hair, and apply makeup; and their children, Robbie and Mickey II, brought joy back into her life. After a few years, Dorothy was ready to return to school, courageously applying to Florence State University in 1966 to complete her degree in early education.

It was during this second chapter of her life that a dear family friend introduced Dorothy to Henry Ford “Pat” Bryant, who immediately stole her heart and took her hand in marriage on October 10, 1968. To this union were born two daughters, Patricia Lynn and Angela Maria. Devastatingly, Pat passed away on November 19, 1974, leaving Dorothy with a four-year-old and one-year-old to raise on her own.

But once again, Dorothy persevered, bravely battling through and defeating breast cancer twice and working multiple jobs to ensure that her daughters received a Catholic education at her alma mater, St. Joseph Catholic School in Florence. Throughout her career, though, Dorothy found herself returning again and again to her true vocation — educating and caring for young children. She operated an in-home daycare center for several years, worked as a preschool teacher, and also served as a caregiver for children whose families she grew to truly love, including the Prosses, Dotys/Renfroes, Wrights, Sprys, Dosses, and Crows. Throughout her final years in the fog of dementia, Dorothy would talk about and worry over “the children” — all of those for whom she cared for more than five decades. They meant the world to her and blessed her more than we will ever know.

In addition to her parents and her husband, Pat, Dorothy was preceded in death by her sisters, Mary Ann “Bebe” Geisen and Betty Brink, brothers, Mickey Gibbons and Robert Gibbons, and three siblings who died in childhood.

She leaves to preserve and honor her memory her daughters, Patricia Hartley and Angela Hendrix; sons-in-law Doug Hartley and Bobby Hendrix; grandson James “Jamie” Hartley and his wife, Lily; granddaughter Jessica Hartley; her soon-to-be great-grandson James Quinn Hartley; and many nieces and nephews.

Our family simply cannot adequately express our love and appreciation for Beth Anerton and the staff of El Reposo Nursing Facility, who provided Mother with an incredible level of care and affection for over a decade. She loved each and every one of you, and we were at peace knowing that she was safe in your hands.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to two causes that are dear to Dorothy’s daughters: Chloe’s Fund for the Emergency Medical Needs of Shelter Animals (585 Longshore Drive, Florence, AL 35634 or Venmo Chloesfund-Nelson) or CaringPlace of the Shoals Adult Day Services (216 S. Marengo Street, Suite I, Florence, AL 35634).  Williams Funeral Home of Florence assisting the family.