Helen Manis Bryant

1929 - 2025

Helen Manis Bryant, known to many who loved her simply as "Mimi," passed away on December 30, 2025, with family by her side. Born February 7, 1929, in Cohutta, GA, Helen grew up working in her family's general store. Seeing the long hours of her parents, Blanche & Grover, she learned the value of resilience and independence. Seeing the customers leave the grocery with much needed items on credit, she learned the value of community & trust. Those qualities stayed with her for life.

Fiercely (stubbornly?) independent, Helen would never hesitate to hop in her car & take off to any destination she desired, be it a fancy Atlanta restaurant or Daytona Beach. She drove herself everywhere until she was 92 years old, often faster than she should.

Helen became Mimi when her grandchildren arrived and the name stuck so thoroughly that it eventually belonged to her in the wider world. When she agreed to host a holiday party for her college-aged grandson, the event was hailed as "Mimistock" and continued for nearly two decades, with Mimi always dishing out her famed white chicken chili to an ever growing guest list.

That was just one of her fabled dishes, all of which seemed impossible to recreate, if not be her hands. She savored crab cakes, cornbread, & cocktails with equal esteem & served every meal with a small plate of fresh tomatoes and raw onion.

The only thing she consumed more excitedly than food may have been words. An avid reader, it was not uncommon for her to crack a new book at dawn & finish it before dusk. She took the time to memorize every 2 letter word in the English language just so she could dominate everyone at Scrabble.

Mimi saw no reason to change her clocks if she was just going to have to change them back six months later, so it was always Daylight Savings regardless what day you walked into her home. She hated having her photo taken, truly hated it, and if we're being honest, she was far more beautiful than she was photogenic. But she loved the beach, tiny tea sets, nice clothes & good shoes. Above all, she loved her family.

Helen belonged to Kirkwood Presbyterian Church for many years. She maintained lifelong friendships across generations; and she lived her life exactly the way she wanted.

She is survived by her sons, Lane (Jana) Wear & Lyndon Wear, her daughter, Susie Wear Kessinger, & her step-daughter, Barbara Hawkins; her grandchildren, Matt Wear, Meredith Boley, Ted Wear, Adam Reno, Barry Hawkins, Sheila DuRand, & Brian Hawkins; & many great-grandchildren.

More than that, she is survived by a treasure trove of stories & memories that will be told & retold for generations.

Plans for a "celebration of life" will be announced at a later date.