Ed Bryant retires after service to Newcomb/Jellico communities

By Charlotte Underwood

NEWCOMB, TN (WLAF)- Thursday marked a lifetime of giving back and helping others for Ed Bryant, the retiring director at the Crazy Quilt Appalachian Outreach Center in Newcomb. The center is part of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee, which held a retirement party for Bryant, thanking him for his three decades of service. State Representative Dennis Powers attended the retirement party, reading a state proclamation in Bryant’s honor, recognizing his impact on the community.

TOP PHOTO: Director of the Crazy Quilt Appalachian Outreach Center in Newcomb Ed Bryant celebrated retirement on Thursday after 30 years of service at the nonprofit, with the last 16 years as the director. He is pictured with his wife Pat Bryant. The pair have been married for over 60 years.

Over the past 30 years, Bryant has helped thousands of children and adults in the Newcomb and Jellico area with the food pantry, yearly toy drives and so much more.

“Ed has been with this ministry for almost 30 years, starting off as a volunteer and then eventually accepting a notional paycheck from us for the past 16 years and he has done such great work here at the Crazy Quilt,” said Catholic Charities of East Tennessee Executive Director Deacon Dave Duhamel.

The Deacon said he loved telling people about the Crazy Quilt Outreach center because of the name and getting to explain all that the center does.

“It’s a very unique name; it started from a group of ladies that loved their community so much that they took their time and created these beautiful quilts and selling them to help their neighbor in need. That lays such as foundation for this particular ministry. Ed first came on as a volunteer and then took on the mission as director,” Duhamel said, adding that even though he had only known Ed for the last two and a half years, he had enjoyed coming out and seeing his work with the food ministry and especially the children.

The Christmas Toy giveaway is a huge event at the center each year and last year had over 260 kids that had a happier Christmas because of the Crazy Quilt Outreach Center.

“It’s because of the generosity of others, but most importantly, it’s because Ed would go around this community and tell the great story and promote with a whole bunch of supporters, the rescue squad, the town civic leaders and others came together and made it such a wonderful community event. I am sad to see you retiring on us, but our hearts are with you and prayers for your health. Just know you are going to be greatly missed and you are truly irreplaceable, so on behalf of Catholic Charities and all the staff members that have worked with you for so long, thank you so much,” Duhamel said.

Representative Powers read a House Joint Resolution from the state of Tennessee, that he, the Governor, the speaker of the House Cameron Sexton and others signed, so that “Bryant’s name will always be in the Tennessee record books in a good way.”

“To recognize citizens who have performed without uncommon devotion and enthusiasm throughout the years in public service, whereas William Ed Bryant has rendered over 30 years of dedicated to service to the people of Newcomb, Jellico and Campbell County, serving one of the most economical distressed regions of East Tennessee with years of service, assisting tens of thousands of neighbors in need weekly with food distribution, organizing a community toy giveaway that benefitting 200 to 300 people every Christmas and hosting a Mountain Arts Camp for local children to express their creativity and provide enrichment and foster positive community encouragement. Throughout his illustrious tenure, Mr. Bryant has carried out his responsibilities with diligence and integrity and his remarkable success as a public servant set the mold for all who follow,” Powers read aloud.

“We extend to him our happiest wishes on retirement,” Powers said. He also presented Bryant with a Tennessee State Flag that had been flown over the state capital in Bryant’s honor for one day. Bryant was also presented with a Tennessee Blue Book.

Catholic Charities of East Tennessee Chief Operating Officer Paul Ritter and Board of Trustees President Marie Wilson congratulated Ed as well on his 30 years of dedicated service.

Bryant said he had “done it all for the kids.”

“It’s all about the kids as far as I was concerned. That was the biggest thing. I worried about them the most. I was Santa Claus for many years. Some of the kids that came through, some broke your heart and others filled you with joy,” Bryant said.

He said two kids that “got away” have stayed on his heart over the years, one was a little boy that wanted new shoes for Christmas and the other, a little girl who wanted a Christmas tree.

“We messed up and didn’t get their names and that has stuck with me,” Bryant admitted.

“I think it is a testimony that when you are looking back over the 30 years of serving hundreds of kids, that the ones that stuck out in your mind are the two that got away, while those cases are always sad, the reality is that there are hundreds of kids in this community that experienced a better Christmas, a better summer and more importantly were able to have food on their tables because of the work of you and all of the volunteers that come out. Those volunteers look to their leader, and you have served that role for such a long time. In the Marine Corps we have an expression, it’s not unique to the Marine Corps. When you look back over the history of your organization, you realize we that have served on the shoulders of giants and today we have the honor of seeing one of our giants. Ed told me not to build him up too much, and I don’t believe it is an exaggeration to say that for Catholic Charities here in East Tennessee, especially in the work that we are doing out here in our rural communities where there is so much need and there is such a demand for food in some of these locations and just opportunities for these children and you are one of these giants that we look to,” Deacon Duhamel said.

Bryant said it had been great over the years to be a part of helping the community through the center. He thanked Catholic Charities and the program for all they had done for him.

“Catholic Charities has always been good to me and treated me like a brother,” Bryant said. He also thanked all the staff and especially all the volunteers for helping; “that it couldn’t be done without the volunteers.”

“It was really good to have the help, and then there was the number one volunteer, my wife, Pat, who volunteered. She has helped me a lot over the years. She has always been very good to help and no matter what I needed she was always there,” Bryant said. He also thanked Betty Ashton who has been working with him over the past couple years and will be taking over as the director of the Crazy Quilt.

Pat Bryant thanked Catholic Charities of East Tennessee for being so good to Ed though the years…Each and every one has treated him with utmost respect, and I thank you for putting up with both of us, we appreciate you,” Pat Bryant said.

Bryant and his wife Pat were presented with artwork depicting the Good Samaritan as a “small token” of appreciation from the Catholic Charites of East Tennessee.

“At Catholic Charites we have the idea that we are following the footsteps of the good Samaritan, where when people are in need we come to help and lift them up out of whatever circumstances that they are experiencing and God knows that you and Pat are both the good Samaritan here in Newcomb and Jellico and this is just a small gift from us to know that you will not be forgotten,” Deacon Duhamel said.

“It was all for the kids, they stay on your heart,” Bryant said. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-06/29/2026-6AM)