Bob Bryant, a state legislator from Garden City, dies

Bryant, who was first elected to the state House of Representatives in 2004, served on the budget-writing Appropriations Committee. He was a retired employee of the city of Savannah, and he served 20 years in the Army, including two years in Vietnam.

"I join with my colleagues in the Georgia House of Representatives this morning in mourning the passing of our colleague and friend, Representative Bob Bryant," House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, said in a statement. "Our hearts are hurting today because we have lost one of our best. Bob Bryant was a man of principle and integrity. He had the courage of his convictions and he never allowed anything to get in the way of doing the right thing. We will miss his kind and gentle spirit and the gift of his friendship."

State Rep. Calvin Smyre, a Columbus Democrat who is the House's longest-serving member, called Bryant "one of the most principled and least political people I've ever met."

“If he wasn’t going in your direction, you weren’t going to take him in that direction,” Smyre said. “But if he gave you his word, you could go to sleep at night.”