Lila Wilkes Bryan

Mrs. Lila Wilkes Bryan age 89, of Thomaston, died Tuesday, August 12, 2025 at Riverside Health and Rehab.

A lifelong, dedicated member of the Thomaston Upson community, Lila graduated from East Thomaston Grammar School and was a proud member of the  R. E. Lee High School Class of 1953.  Lila graduated from the Dudley Hughes Beauty School and enjoyed her career as a hairdresser from 16 years old to her retirement in 1996. For eighteen years Lila proudly and fiercely represented Thomaston’s District 2 until she retired from City Council in 2006. She was particularly honored to be the second female to ever serve on City Council along with her beloved friend Mary Hogan. She enjoyed serving her

community in other capacities with Thomaston’s Historic Preservation committee, the Flint Tech Cosmetology Board, and Leadership Upson’s 5th class. Lila was a faithful member of Mountain View Baptist Church, a member of their Senior Adult Sunday School class, the MVBC Choir, The Christian Travelers group, and the Card Ministry. She loved her God, her church family, her family and her friends. Her lifelong friend Martha Dover will forever be a part of this family and Lila cherished their time together. She was married for 56 years to the love of her life Emmett H. Bryan with whom she was blessed with three daughters, six grandchildren and five great grandsons.

Lila was preceded in death by her husband Emmett Bryan, her parents N. C. Wilkes and Irene Finley Wilkes, her siblings Lola W. Hill and Gaynelle W. Cochran, and her son-in-law Mark Hardy.  Lila is survived by her brother Charles (Kay) Wilkes, her daughters Pamela B. (Skip) Mitchell, Kimberly B. Hardy and Stacye B. (Ryan) Deloatch, her grandchildren Jessica  (Jonathan) Nixon, Stephanie (Michael) Mann, Russ (Stacey) Brumbelow, Mitch Brumbelow, Ben (AK) Mitchell, and Maggie Mitchell.  Her joy in life was spending time with her great grandchildren Estiven and Thomas Mann, James and Jesse Nixon and Emmett Brumbelow.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday August 16, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. from the Chapel of Coggins Funeral Home.  Burial will follow at Emory's Chapel Baptist Church Cemetery.  The family will receive friends on Saturday, August 16, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m. at Coggins Funeral Home.

Lila loved her special friend Keith Johnson like a son, and for that reason in lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Mountain View Baptist Church Music Ministry at 2569 Jeff Davis Rd. Thomaston, GA 30286.