Bryan Jennings

1946 - 2024

Bryan Jennings

January 2, 1946 - December 4, 2024

Boise, Idaho - William Bryan Jennings III (January 2, 1946 - December 4, 2024), age 78, passed away peacefully on December 4, 2024, in Boise. Born on January 2, 1946, in Ft. Worth, Texas, to William and Polly Jennings, Bryan's life was a tapestry of adventure, humor, service, and deep connections with family, friends, and community.

Bryan was the beloved husband of Wanda Beth Wedel Jennings and cherished brother to Mary Gean Cope and Benton Jennings. He was a dedicated uncle to John Robert (JR) Cope, Andy Cope, and Elizabeth Brown, and a proud great-uncle to Madeline, Blake, Lauren, and Bryson Brown. He was father to Robby and Sammy, his 4-legged friends.

An alumnus of Texas Tech University, Bryan earned a degree in political science, which set the stage for a distinguished career that spanned the globe. He served honorably in the United States Army and later pursued a fulfilling career as an educator, sharing his love of learning with students around the world. Bryan eventually settled in Boise, where he worked for more than 20 years as a school bus driver for Meridian Schools, making an impact on countless students and families along the way.

Beyond his professional life, Bryan had a wide range of passions. He was an aviation enthusiast who loved flying planes, a classic car aficionado who enjoyed attending car rallies, and a fiction writer with a vivid imagination. His zest for life also took him on many travels across the world, where he immersed himself in new cultures and experiences. Bryan played the Sheriff in the movie Manos Returns, the sequel to Manos, the Hands of Fate, in which his father played the Sheriff.

Bryan was deeply committed to his community. He was an active member of the Boise Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, volunteered for the American Red Cross, and drove the Garden City Public Library bookmobile. For over a decade, he served as a dedicated volunteer at the Peregrine Fund's World Center for Birds of Prey, where he supported efforts to protect and preserve wildlife.

Bryan's family, friends, and the communities he served will forever remember his kindness, integrity, generous spirit and marvelous sense of humor.

Bryan is survived by his loving wife, Wanda; his siblings, Mary Gean and Benton; his nephews, JR and Andy; his niece, Elizabeth; and his great-nieces and great-nephews, Maddie, Blake, Lauren, and Bryson.

Bryan asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Boise Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, or American Red Cross of Greater Idaho, or Idaho Public Television.

A memorial service to celebrate Bryan's life will be held in the spring.