(Editor’s Note: The city of Hopkinsville issued the following statement following the death Thursday, May 14, of Wally Bryan, former mayor and founder of the Challenge House movement.)
On behalf of the City of Hopkinsville, Mayor Wendell Lynch shared his sense of loss and sadness at hearing of the death of former mayor and friend Wally Bryan. Wally was a champion of Hopkinsville both in the public arena as an elected official and beyond as an ambassador for the importance of building strong neighborhoods and connecting young people and others to new opportunities through various initiatives, including the Challenge House movement, launching Coffee Connection and developing partnerships for AT&T summer youth employment programs and Jobs for Life.
Wally genuinely believed in Hopkinsville and the potential for all its people to thrive. He carried the torch of hope and unity throughout every sector of our community for decades. In this difficult time, we keep his family in our prayers and ask that you join us in continuing to celebrate our friend Mr. Wally Bryan.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
