Marcus Rinehart “Marc” Bryan

Marcus Rinehart “Marc” Bryan, a longtime Cutchogue resident, passed away Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026.  He was 82 years old.

Marc was born Sept. 10, 1943, in Los Angeles to Grace Charlet Rinehart and Marcus Turner Bryan. His father, a soldier in the U.S. Army, passed away shortly after his birth, and he was raised by a single mother in a small rural community on the outskirts of Kansas City, Mo.

A proud Eagle Scout with a head for math and a near perfect SAT score, Marc was offered full scholarships to many top tier universities, including Harvard and Yale. However, he chose instead to take a partial scholarship to the small, relatively unknown but highly selective Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, Calif. Harvey Mudd was distinguished for its science and engineering programs, and Marc felt more socially suited to the student body of the school as he came from the opposite of a privileged background and was a self-described math nerd. He graduated Harvey Mudd with a bachelor of science in engineering and followed that degree with a masters in engineering from Princeton University. 

It was during his time at Harvey Mudd that Marc discovered his love of flying. He was lucky enough to be taught and mentored by renowned female WWII pilot and Olympic athlete Iris Cummings Critchell and her husband, Howard Critchell, both of whom together created the aeronautics program at Harvey Mudd College. The Critchells encouraged Marc to get his private pilot license while still in school and let him use their private plane to accomplish just that.  After he completed his higher education, and after a short stint working in the corporate engineering field, Marc decided to turn the hobby he loved into a 30+ year career, ultimately becoming an airline pilot first for TWA and then for American Airlines, after the two companies merged. He retired as a senior captain shortly after 9/11.

In 1966, while at Princeton, he met Cornell University nursing student Joanne Clogher at a mixer between the two schools, hosted by the Cornell University School of Nursing. The two married on Sept. 23, 1967, in the bride’s hometown of Levittown, N.Y.  After spending time in Buffalo, N.Y., and Coram, and with their two young sons, they settled in Cutchogue in 1976. They lived there ever since, in the home they built on the bluffs overlooking the Long Island Sound, where they were able to always appreciate that sacred place where the sky and the water meet.

In addition to flying, Marc loved travel and took full advantage of the benefits his airline career afforded him. He took his family all across the globe in an effort to show his sons that there was a whole world out there to be discovered and different cultures to be appreciated. Marc also enjoyed sailing and always tried to spend a good amount of time on the water both here on the North Fork as well as in Sarasota, Fla., where he and Joanne would often spend the winters of their retirement at their condo on the Gulf. A man of few words and simple tastes, Marc always appreciated a good documentary, a Guinness on tap (or a sparkling rosé), and a steak at Elbow Too. A self-proclaimed cat person, but with allergies that never allowed them, he kindly tolerated the dogs his wife made sure their sons always had beside them, but once his kids left home, his tolerance blossomed into a full-blown devotion to the dogs his wife continued to bring into the household.

A beloved husband, father and grandfather, Marc is survived by Joanne, his wife of 58 years; his sons, Sean Bryan of Los Angeles and Timothy Bryan and daughter-in-law Sarah McLane Bryan of Maui, Hawaii; as well as his grandsons, Sagan and Nainoa Bryan of Maui. He also leaves behind his latest canine companion, Coco.

The family will receive friends Friday, Jan. 23, from 4 to 7 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck. Graveside services will be held Saturday, Jan. 24, at 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart Cemetery on Depot Lane in Cutchogue. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to The Salvation Army at www.salvationarmyusa.org, or The Nature Conservancy at www.nature.org as these organizations were so close to Marc’s heart.

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