Passing of the Daimyo

[Mega Zenjirou Yoshi]

Facebook post

Just found this in my Facebook feed.

I hope this isn't true:
To all who knew and loved Tony,

I have been asked by his family to post the news of his sudden passing on December 25, 2013 at 12:30 P.M.

In an effort to create an accurate and comprehensive obituary, the family has asked me acquire details regarding his degrees, credentials and accomplishments pertaining to his college education at Florida State University, his literary publications, life and work in Japan, Virginia and Florida as well as his personal affiliations.

Time is of the essence, since his family wishes to publish Tony's obituary as soon as possible. If you have any confirmed information regarding his background, particularly the categories mentioned above, then please forward those details by messaging me personally on Facebook or by e-mail, at [e-mail].

Thank you so much for your consideration in this matter as well as your friendship with Tony. I have told his family members who are not on Facebook about all of the thoughtful posts and best wishes for his recovery. They were touched and wished for me to extend their appreciation to all of you.... Tony may be gone from us but he was too special and unique to be forgotten.

I will post more information as it is issued by the family.

Thank you,

Lisa Dudley Rentz

[greeknakos]

Was just looking to see if this had been posted. Cross-posted to the SCA-JML email list.

And in the words from a poster on another forum:

CTrumbore wrote:

FUCK! FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK!

[dianetwrite]

*lights a candle and places it on her memorial shelf and bows her head* He will be missed. May he find peace in whatever afterlife he believed in.

[Deleted]

Oh deepest, unhappiest crud.

I'd only met him a couple of times in person, but deeply depended upon his knowledge and distant presence.

My sympathies to his family and close friends. He'll be missed by many, including me.

[steamboat28]

This makes me very, exceedingly sad. I didn't know him, but I loved his work.

[Ishida Kentarou Mitsumasa]

I lit a stick of incense for him when I got home tonight. He will be missed.

In the end, the best tribute we can make to him is to keep making things that we could never have made without his expertise. I have a closet full of Japanese clothes now, half of which I made using his patterns. My armor is made out of his scales and using his manual. Every time one of us uses something we could not have made the way we did without his help, he lives on a little bit in us still.

[Mike F]

Curt did sum it up nicely.

I figured I had some money, and I grabbed some Effingham scales and will start working on my armor again, and found Ishida's posts on the topic and saw Tony was active here as well. I'm glad to see more people remember him.

Obviously there's some overlap on the boards, but I just registered for future harness talk, (yoroi, whatever the preferred terminology is) and just to commiserate a bit more. It's sad that the answers I get from him in making it will be ones someone else asked, because I can't ask him anymore.

[hiro]

This is very sad news and we are all poorer for the loss.

[Mega Zenjirou Yoshi]

Effingham-Sensei's obituary

[dianetwrite]

Thank you so much, Punkelf, for posting that Obit.

I do hope they keep his website up for people who are interested in the Japanese Persona and culture.

[worldantiques]

Condolences can be left here, it would be nice to express to his family how much he meant to people.

www.legacy.com/guestbook/Batesville/guestbook.aspx?n=anthony-tony-bryant&pid=168764209

[Please Delete]

Posted on Facebook, but reposting here:

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For all of the friends of Anthony Bryant who couldn't be there, the funeral yesterday was very nice. His family was there, but so were people from other aspects in his life, and the masonic ceremony was something he really would have appreciated. I believe the family was quite surprised and glad to hear of how much he meant to people around the world--Tony did a good job of compartmentalizing his life and keeping his various facets separate from one another. From his time in the Russian Orthodox seminary, to his role as a premiere English-language authority on Japanese armor, and on and on. My thanks to the family for including me and all of us as part of this celebration of his life.

In the end he was buried with his mother's ashes and his father's golf shoes, so that they would all be together.

There were many tears shed, but there was also laughter remembering the life of one who never really grew up, and who touched so many of us in so many different ways. Goodbye, my friend.


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PS: I noticed that the virtual guestbook will be open for some time, so I recommend signing in, if you haven't, and leaving your thoughts about Tony there.