Robert G. Bryans | Contract administrator, 78

Robert G. Bryans, 78 of Devon, a contract administrator for the Defense Department, died Monday at Devon Manor of Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia, a rare form of cancer.

During his 22 years as a contract administrator, Mr. Bryans worked primarily at the U.S. government office at Boeing in Ridley Park. At the time of his retirement in 1995, he was administrative contracting officer for Boeing's work on the V-22 Osprey Program.

A graduate of Collingdale High School, Mr. Bryans earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Grove City College.While serving in the Army, he was stationed at the White Sands Proving Grounds in New Mexico. After his discharge he worked for RCA and DuPont Co. before joining the Department of Defense in 1963.

Mr. Bryans was a deacon and served on the outreach council of Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church. For many years he was on the board of Chester Eastside Ministries, an urban ministry of the Presbytery of Philadelphia. In June he became a Stephen Minister, providing counseling to those grieving or in need of comfort.

Since 1967, Mr. Bryans had been married to Cornelia Hale Bryans. He loved trains, she said, and enjoyed travel by train to visit family in the Southwest. For more than 50 years he had been a member of the National Railway Historical Society. He was also a talented amateur photographer.

In addition to his wife of 40 years, Mr. Bryans is survived by a son, Scott; and a daughter, Elizabeth Laird.

A memorial service will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, 625 Montgomery Ave., Bryn Mawr.