Visitation scheduled today for veteran teacher and former Olympics-bound wrestler James Bryant
Visitation and funeral services have been set for James Bryant, 62, of Ypsilanti Township, the veteran science teacher and former Olympics-bound wrestler who died Tuesday.
Visitation will be held today from noon to 8 p.m. at C&H Community Home for Funerals/Lucille's Memorial Chapel, 411 S. Adams St., in Ypsilanti.
James Bryant
Scarlett Middle School yearbook photo
A library patron found Bryant in the men's room on Tuesday morning at the Ypsilanti District Library’s Whittaker Road branch, according to the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office.
He was unresponsive and died before rescue workers arrived. Library officials said that he had not been seen inside the library before he was found that day.
Washtenaw County Medical Examiner Bader Cassin said Monday that Bryant died of a heart attack.
It’s possible Bryant had been out running on a scorching day that pushed the heat index to 100 degrees, sheriff's spokesman Derrick Jackson said last week, but Cassin said it wasn't not clear if the heat played a role in the death. Services for Bryant will be held Tuesday, with a family hour from 1 to 2 p.m. The funeral service will begin at 2 p.m. at Second Baptist Church, 301 S. Hamilton St., in Ypsilanti.
Juliana Keeping covers general assignment and health and the environment for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at julianakeeping@annarbor.com or 734-623-2528. Follow Juliana Keeping on Twitter.
Comments
BhavanaJagat
Tue, Jun 14, 2011 : 3:59 p.m.
We need to remember that the dead teach the living. James Bryant lived and worked as a teacher. What do we learn from his death? I am rather disappointed to read the report given by the County Medical Examiner. What is heart attack? What is the Medical Examiner trying to tell us? Could he better explain the cause of death? To describe a death in such vague terms is a mark of disrespect to the departed soul. We have to very respectfully understand death, and the dying process. When a person dies, the vital functions stop. To attribute death to the failure of cardiac function, we need to demonstrate the presence of an underlying cause or mechanism. A poisonous snake bite could cause cardiovascular failure and we do not say that the victim died of cardiovascular failure; we would rather report the death as due to snake bite. The Medical Examiner must be asked to explain his findings and share with us the autopsy results in a professional manner.
John B.
Mon, Jun 13, 2011 : 7:04 p.m.
A minor 'oops' to be corrected, please: "Library officials said that no one had not been seen him inside the library before he was found that day"