JB Bryson-More Than A Man

Sedro Woolley, WA:  On Saturday, July 12th, 2014 the community came together to mourn the loss of a great man, JB Bryson.   JB was a long time Skagit County Resident and he passed away on June 28th, 2014  while assisting with a Rescue mission for two fallen hikers near Pilchuck Falls.

It has taken me a few weeks to get up the courage to try and write about JB. Every time I start, I have to stop. I’ve known the Bryson Family for many years and grew up across the fence from them in Sedro Woolley.  As kids, my sisters and I would  spend many  days at the Bryson home.  Kevin Bryson and the two of us, would hang out and do what we could,  to annoy his two older sisters.  Kelli who is the oldest and Kristi who was only a year or so older than us.  We  thought they were pretty cool but at the time they were both “too cool” to hang out with their younger brother and his friends.    The Bryson family had a big barn behind their house and it was perfect for playing hide and seek in.  We spent many hours playing in the old barn. When we would get bored with hide and seek, we made up a  game where we would take chunks of wood and throw them at each other to see how close we could get to smacking the other person up side the head without hitting them or injuring them.  At the time, it seemed like a  fun game and no one ever thought about the consequences. Looking back we are all pretty lucky that no one was hurt or injured.   When we were really bored, or got hungry  we would go inside and see about raiding the food cupboards and annoying Sue.   I am pretty sure we annoyed Sue on a daily basis during our younger years.  Sue would shake her head and tell us that we needed to go outside and play. We were kids, it’s what we did.  When we were old enough, we would take bicycle  trips over to Kevin’s grandmothers house. She lived  around the corner from where we all lived.  Pat Butt was her name. We would all make fun of Kevin for his grandmas last  name being  Butt.  The jokes were never ending, but of course as kids, the last name Butt was the funniest thing we had ever heard and there was no way that we were going to let Kevin live it down.  We would literally go on for hours about it. Life was so simple then.

JB and Sue had a large field behind their house, and for quite some time, they let my mom, Jody, use a portion of the field, so she could keep her horse, Rose,  there.  We spent many evening in the Bryson field taking care of that horse. I wasn’t a fan of the horse, but my mom sure was and it was because JB and Sue let her keep it there that she was able to keep the horse. We didn’t have anywhere at our house for a horse to live. As you can see in the above picture, most of the neighbor kids would join us to “take care” of the horse.

JB  became our Scout Leader. Although all the details are a little fuzzy to me, I believe that the current Scout Master had resigned and no one else wanted to take over the troop, so JB stepped up and became the Scout Master.  My dad, Randy  was one of the assistant Scout Masters and helped out with the troop as well.  Now, imagine a group of boys who didn’t want to sit still or listen or even pay attention, and there was JB and his assistants, teaching us the importance of living the Scout Motto. He taught us the importance of “giving to others”, the importance of a strong handshake and exactly what a smile meant.  He taught us  to give back to our  community and he encouraged us to “stick with it”,   even though most of us were getting to an age where being a boy scout was “not very cool” and we were more interested in girls and having fun, then “sticking it out” to get our Eagle Scout Badge.  Throughout Scouts, JB held classes and taught us what we needed to learn to earn  each of the badges. We made Bird Houses in his shop, we camped, we cleaned up the community, we were in parades, we went to the mall for competitions and  JB would give us  these knot classes that I hated! I don’t know why, but at the time, I could not figure out how to tie a knot if my life depended on it. Kevin and I would be screwing off during the class and JB would always holler at us to pay attention because we would need to know how to tie knots at some point in life.  I learned the importance of knowing how to tie knots later in life when I became a volunteer firefighter. JB held us both responsible, but always hollered at Kevin a little more then the rest of us. JB expected Kevin to “lead” by example and if Kevin listened and participated, then the rest of us would do so as well.  Looking back on it, I get it now, but at the time we just wanted to have some fun and didn’t really realize the life lessons JB  was teaching us.  In full circle, after we learned what we needed to learn to earn the badges,  we were rewarded with “awards ceremonies” where we would get presented with our patches. Our families would all get to join us and watch us accept our patches for the hard work we had put in to learn everything there was to learn.  JB made sure these ceremonies were special. He had awards banquet flyers made. Our Families were invited and everyone participated. JB taught us Skits that he learned in the military and we would perform these skits to entertain our families. One of the most memorable skits, was the Skit titled “Important Papers”.   Without giving away the ending, the important papers referenced in the skit  was simply “toilet paper”.  The skits had our  families laughing and our mission to entertain was successful.

JB took myself and Kevin on a Snow Camping Trip. I don’t remember where we went, but I know it was extremely cold and when I refused to sleep in the same tent as everyone else,  JB reluctantly agreed to let me sleep in my own tent. He said the only way he would agree to it was by  setting an alarm to wake me up in the middle of the night to make sure I didn’t freeze to death.  I was sound asleep, snuggled in my sub zero mummy sleeping bag when the alarm went off. I didn’t hear it. Kevin and JB hollered from their tent to mine for what they said was about 5-10 minutes trying to wake me up to make sure a snow snake didn’t get me. I was confused as to what a snow snake was but with a straight face,  JB told me it was a snake that came out during cold weather and “bit you” and  you froze to death. Later I learned that of course, there was no such thing as a snow snake and he simply didn’t want me  freezing to death.  Eventually their hollering woke me up and everything was fine, but JB made sure to stick to his promise to wake me up.

JB and his family always had ATV’s.  We had one but needed another one so I could go riding with my dad and his friends. JB let me borrow his ATV as long as I respected it and wore a helmet. Safety was always number one in everything JB did. Of course, being a teenager, I knew more then most anyone else, so during our ATV ride in the mountains, my need for speed kicked in and while going downhill on a gravel road, ahead of everyone else, as fast as I possibly could, I made the mistake of locking up all the brakes on the ATV. The ATV slid out of control, off the side of the road, rolled multiple times and I was thrown head first into a giant boulder. My helmet cracked down the center. I was shaken up and really sore, but overall  I was okay. JB’s ATV that he trusted us with, didn’t fare so well. The fairing was cracked, the handlebars were bent, and how would I explain this to JB? After getting the ATV back on it’s wheels, and being checked out by those I was riding with,  I didn’t want to ride the ATV anymore. My dad made me get back on it and ride it the rest of the way down the mountain in 1st or 2nd gear. When the ATV was returned to JB, with broken plastics, his concern wasn’t the ATV, but instead his concern was that everyone was okay. The plastic fairing was replaceable but I wasn’t.

One of my favorite JB stories, is the one he told about being in the Army and showing up for Boot Camp with the initials JB on his paperwork.  He can tell the story better than I can, but the recruiter had messed up his name, so when they asked JB his name and he stated JB, Sir,  the Drill sergeant disagreed. JB was made to do push-ups until he got his name right.  The recruiter had wrote Jonly Bonly on his paperwork and forgot the parenthesis. What should have read J(only) B(only) instead read Jonly Bonly. It was a comical story and I enjoyed listening to him tell it the few times I heard him tell people the story. There were times we referred to him as Jonly Bonly, instead of JB.

These are just a few of the memories I have of JB. I could go on forever about  how Awesome the Bryson family is.  I could tell numerous  JB stories but I won’t. I know that every time I remember a JB story, I will smile and remember a good man.  I will remember what JB taught me, I will remember how he respected and mentored me and I will remember how much fun we  had as  kids with JB and Kevin. JB was twice my age, but as a kid, I respected him and really appreciated the respect he gave me in return.  JB was a positive influence in my life as a kid and that influence has carried on into my adult life. After attending his memorial and listening to the stories people told about JB, I  think most people that have ever met JB could go on and on with stories about how great of a guy he was. As time would have it, the  Scout Troop broke up, and the kids from the troop all went their separate ways. Kevin and I ended up with different group of friends in school, we got our drivers licenses  and I spent less and less time at the Bryson house. One thing remained the same though, no matter when or where I saw JB, he always had a smile on his face and a strong hand shake extended to shake your hand. JB stayed in touch, he asked what you’ve  been up to with a genuine interest in hearing the answer. No matter where you were in the community, you would see JB as an active and involved member of the community.

In my 20’s, I started to hang out with  Kristi Bryson again through some mutual friends. I hadn’t seen her in quite a few years, but she hadn’t changed a bit. Her smile and personality was a mirror image of her dads. She greeted everyone she met with a larger than life smile, a warm hug and a genuine love of life and people. Her smile still today lights up a room. When we would go out with our group of friends, we would dance and laugh and have fun. It was a reminder of what a great job, JB and Sue did of raising their kids. JB taught his kids Love, acceptance, treating others with respect and always doing the right thing. Again, over the years, Life got in the way, relationships changed, we stopped going out and our close friendship faded as we both got married and our family life took us in opposite directions. I smile when I think of Kristi and I was really glad to see her again, even under the circumstances of her fathers passing. Even though I hadn’t seen her in years, talking to her was like we had just talked yesterday.

June 21st, 2014: The last time I saw JB Bryson was at the Berry Dairy Days parade.  JB was handing out A.R.E. Realty Inc. beads, as he did often in the local parades. Each set of beads had a raffle number on them. As I watched the Parade and snapped pictures, I saw JB. I shouted JB!, he smiled that big smile, and  laughed as he put a  set of purple beads around my neck with the raffle number 101 on them. He said; It’s nice to see you Chris as he extended his hand and gave me a strong handshake. I snapped a photo of him and he moved on down the parade line.  As the parade ended, we walked over to the Salmon BBQ at Maiben park.  JB was pulling the A.R.E golf cart into the park. Jordan, my step son, said “Wow, that thing is cool! Can I have a ride on it.” JB smiled and said sure, but I am only moving it a few feet so the ride isn’t going to be that long!”  We laughed, shook hands again and we went and got in line to get some food.  I will forever remember that as being the last place and time I saw JB. There he was, with a smile on his face, enjoying life.

June 28th, 2014, a week after I had last seen JB, a moderator on our website was listening to the scanner and heard a tone out for injured hikers at Pilchuck Falls. I had to work at midnight so I was sleeping when the tones went out for the rescue. When I woke up at 11 pm, we had several messages from people wanting to know what was going on in the area of Pilchuck Falls. People said the roadway was closed and we were told a helicopter was on the ground.  I thought, wow it must be serious.  I turned on the scanner to see what was going on. As the night went on, I learned that a Volunteer with Skagit County Search and Rescue had fallen and passed away.   At the time, I didn’t know it was JB.  As I listened to the scanner overnight and learned more I became overwhelmed with sadness. I had spent several years as a volunteer with Skagit County Search and Rescue and know several of the SAR members.  I was hoping that it wasn’t true, wondering which member had given their life for someone else and praying for the family and friends of whoever had perished. Never did I expect the tragedy to hit so close to home.

June  29th, 2014 11:33 am I was notified by a Bryson family member, that the deceased Skagit County Search and Rescue member was JB Bryson. Shocked, I confirmed with the family member that this was in fact the same person that I had grown up with. It couldn’t be, there had to be another JB Bryson. Sadly, It was confirmed. I didn’t know what to do, who to turn too or even who I was allowed to talk to about it. I couldn’t reach out to the searchers I know, because of my position with Skagit Breaking and the sensitive nature of the incident. I couldn’t  call Kevin or Kristi, what if they hadn’t been notified yet?  I was told the entire family had not been notified of his passing and to please not post the information on our website until all his kids had been notified. I was so happy to have been privately notified before it was made public. This gave me a few hours to try and process what had happened. JB was a huge part of my life growing up. I was contacted again at  6:51 pm, the same day, and I was given permission by JB’s older sister, Pini  to release his name to the public and the media. I was driving when I got the message.  I pulled over and sat there for awhile, trying to figure out in my mind HOW exactly could I release this information in the most honorable and sensitive way. I knew once the information was made public, the media would be contacting the family. their once peaceful life would we thrown upside down. JB Bryson was more then a Search and Rescue Technician. He was more then just a man who died during a rescue. Jb Bryson was a pillar of the community, a mentor, a Father, a grandfather, a husband, a friend and so much more to so many people. I took a deep breath and wrote the following:  “It is with an extremely heavy heart that I write this. Skagit County Search and Rescue member JB Bryson of Sedro Woolley, was the searcher that passed away at Pilchuck Falls last night. JB is a long time family friend and is very well known in the Skagit County community. JB has spent his entire life serving and giving back. JB is a former drill Seargant, boy scout leader, SAR member, postman, mentor and most importantly, a great father and husband. JB leaves behind a wife, several kids and some grandkids. Jb will be greatly missed by everyone that has known him. This photo was taken by me at the Berry Dairy Days parade last weekend while JB was handing out contest beads for A.R.E Realty, the company he worked for. Many also know JB from the Harley Davidson motorcycle group he was a member of. R.I.P Mr. Bryson. This information is being released with the permission of JB’s family”  All local media outlets picked up on the release of information and the Bryson Kids were on the news later that night, talking about their dad and how wonderful he was. 

June 30th, 2014:  The Skagit County Sheriff’s Office officially identified JB Bryson, 62, of Sedro-Woolley as the SAR member who died at Pilchuck Falls. The hiker who died has been identified as Peder Trettevik, 25, of Stanwood.

According to the press release, at about 9:40 p.m. Saturday, Sheriff’s Deputies from Skagit and Snohomish counties, along with Skagit County search-and-rescue personnel, were called to the Pilchuck Falls area in Lake Cavanaugh following reports of two men in need of rescue.

The sheriff’s office said three people had gone down a cliff and as they were climbing back up, one of them, now identified as Trettevik, fell approximately 150 feet. One of his friends tried to climb back down while the other friend climbed up the cliff to call for help.

The friend who climbed down the cliff started to fall and had to cling to a tree until a rescue team reached him.

Bryson was part of the Skagit County Volunteer Search-and-Rescue group. The group was on a training mission in the area and responded to the report of a fallen hiker. Members of the volunteer team started to deploy down the cliff to rescue the two people, while other volunteers started to clear an area of brush for the rescue team.

Bryson was clearing brush when he fell approximately 150 feet to his death.

July 4th, 2014: JB was a huge fan of the yearly Sedro Woolley  Loggerodeo ChainSaw Carving events.  This year they  honored JB with daily  moments of silence.  Woodcarvers from around the world came to Sedro Woolley and mourned with our town.  Many of them knew JB from his work with the woodcarving events in Sedro Woolley.   Click here to learn more about the Chainsaw Carvings. The rodeo also had a special moment for him with a riderless horse. The crowd grew silent and everyone honored JB’s memory. You can learn more about the Sedro Woolley Loggerodeo by clicking here.

While the family and friends of JB quietly remembered the man they loved, so did his fellow Sar Members. They spent hours and hours making sure JB’s memory would be properly celebrated and honored at his funeral. Search and Rescue members from  Canada, Oregon and all over Washington State came together to honor a fallen Brother.

July 5th, 2014: The Obituary of JB Clark Bryson, 62, of Sedro Woolley Washington  was published in the Skagit Valley Herald and on www.legacy.com. You can read the obituary by clicking here: JB BRYSON OBITUARY

July 11th, 2014: Nearly 60 SAR members, firefighters, EMS Crews and citizens came together to set up for a memorial for JB. Hours were spent setting up a stage, arranging stairs, setting up tents and water and practicing for the following days memorial. I was there for the set up and while these men and women were mourning the man they knew and loved as a SAR member, they were dedicated to ensuring his memorial was put together to perfection and his family would be completely taken care of and his memory would live on through the community.  Once the venue was set, regular folks, like myself were Thanked greatly for our help with setting up the memorial and released. SAR members stayed and practiced for Saturday’s memorial service.

July 12th, 2014, 11 am: Skagit County Search and Rescue members woke early and set the stage for an amazing memorial procession and funeral for JB Bryson. Around  10:40am I arrived at the staging area. I immediately saw, Sue and Kristi. I hugged Sue, and there were no words I could say. I hugged Kristi. I went and shook Kevins hand and we made small talk. There were no words to describe the overwhelming emotions in the crowd.  10:55 am the SAR crews were told  to start their engines and prepare for the memorial procession. Promptly at 11 am, the Sedro Woolley Police department blocked the intersections and the memorial procession for JB Bryson started.  I took up my post in the middle of the intersection at the corner of State Street and Metcalf  so I could photograph the SAR procession. A Skagit County Sheriffs Office vehicle took the lead, followed by Jb’s Best friend, Chet on a Harley Davidson Motorcycle, with JB’s cremated remains on the back. Chet was taking his friend on his final ride. Following Chet, was the Bryson family followed by SAR vehicles from multiple agencies and Jb’s friends from the local Harley Owners Group.  When the final vehicle passed us, we moved our location  to the front of the Sedro Woolley High School, where the procession would end.  As the procession rounded the corner and made it’s way down 3rd street, a Sedro Woolley Fire Department ladder truck was set up with a giant flag hanging over the roadway.  The procession stopped for a moment under the flag. 

 

July 12th, 2014. 12:40 pm:  What happened next was amazing. Jb had a love for his Country, a love for his city and a love for people.  The Lead Sheriff’s Rig stopped sideways in the road, blocking traffic, just in front of the Sedro Woolley High School Front doors. SAR Vehicles and Harley Owners lined the street. Each person got out of their vehicle or off their Harley and stood at attention along side the road. Bag Pipes played and the motorcycle Chet was driving, slowly crept down 3rd street and  stopped in front of the school, Jb’s family followed in their vehicles. When everyone was in place, the Bryson family slowly exited the vehicles. Kevin, Jb’s son helped Chet unstrap the urn from the motorcycle. JB’s remains were transferred from his “last Harley ride” to the officials at the Memorial as the  Bag pipes were played.  Jb’s cremated remains were taken inside the school, where the Bryson family had one final  private moment before the public memorial.

 

 

July 12th, 2014. 1 pm: The Bryson family and JB’s remains were walked with full honors from inside the school, to the memorial at the stadium. Both sides of the walkway were lined with First Responders and  Search and Rescue  Members both local, out of state and international.  All  Emergency Personnel were standing at attention and civilians had their hands over their heart.  A show of respect for JB Bryson.   The Bryson family was followed by members of the Skagit County ATV Search and Rescue group.

 

 

The Skagit County Sheriff spoke of JB Sacrificing his life trying to rescue others. JB’s long time friends talked about their Friend  and told stories about their adventures with JB. Most of them from Riding Harleys to hunting and camping.

 

 

JB’s Kids spoke proudly of  their father: Kelli First, then Kristi followed by Kevin.  A portion of Kristi’s speech about her dad can be seen below. Have you met my dad? In a nut shell it sums up JB Bryson-MORE than a man.

JB was given Military honors. Military Gunshot salutes startled the crowd.  JB received Skagit County Sheriffs Office Honors,  Search and Rescue Honors.

Snohomish County, SNO HAWK 10, a Search and Rescue Helicopter flew over the memorial with a giant flag attached to the helicopter.  Skagit 9-1-1 dispatchers can be heard over the loud speaker,  JB’s final tones were played.

 

Search and rescue members came from Far and Wide to show their support and respect for a great man. I talked to a  few  SAR members who made the trip over the mountains  from Yakima County, British Columbia, and Columbia County, Oregon.  The honor and respect these individuals showed for a man they never met, showed the true brotherhood of the Search and Rescue Family.  No matter where you go in the world, as a Search and Rescue member, you are a member of the Search and Rescue family.  I want to send them a huge Thank you for coming to support their brothers and sisters with the Skagit County Volunteer Search and Rescue groups. It is truly appreciated.

 

My thoughts go out to his fellow Skagit County Search and Rescue Volunteer ATV members as well as the entire Skagit County Volunteer Search and Rescue organization. JB loved being a part of Skagit County SAR and his family mourns with you during your loss as well.

JB lived his life with love and respect for others. JB  served  his Country and his community with honor and pride.  Jb spent his life giving back to others. His Final Challenge was for everyone in attendance to do the same and to challenge others to get involved in your community and change your  community for the positive. I want to thank JB, Sue, Kelli, Kristi and Kevin for allowing me to be an extended part of your family. Rest in Peace  JB  Bryson-You certainly were more than a man.  I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to have  known you. -Chris Nelson

Photo Credit: Bryson Family

Note: Photos for this story were compiled from my personal collection as well as online sources, such as Whatcom County Search and Rescue, Skagit County Search and Rescue and all photos belong to the respective organizations or individuals who own them.