Richmond, VA(WBTW) – John Stewart Bryan III (“Stewart”), Chairman of the Board of Media General, Inc., died Saturday at Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital. Mr. Bryan was 77 years old. His death resulted from complications related to neck injuries sustained in a fall on January 15, 2016.

Mr. Bryan is survived by his wife, Lisa-Margaret (“Lissy”) Stevenson Bryan; his daughters Elizabeth Talbott Bryan Maxey (“Talbott”) of Palm Beach, Fla., and Anna Saulsbury Bryan (Stephen) Sullivan, of Wilson, Wyoming; five grandchildren, Tennant and Alice Maxey, and Pryor, Stewart and Harriett Sullivan; his sisters Mary Tennant Bryan Perkins of Richmond, Va., and Florence Talbott Bryan Fowlkes of Gordonsville, Va.; his sisters-in-law Susan Stevenson Badder of Baltimore, Md., and Sharon (Charles) Stevenson Griffith, of Pound Ridge, NY; four nephews, Bryan (Kathryn) Fowlkes, Nathaniel Badder, Cable (Jess) Griffith, and Alden (Katie)

Griffith and their three children. He was predeceased by his parents, D. Tennant Bryan and Mary Harkness Davidson Bryan.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced in the Richmond Times-Dispatch obituaries.

During Mr. Bryan’s more than 50-year career in the local media business, he worked as a newspaper journalist, served as Publisher of four newspapers, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond News Leader, The Tampa Tribune and The Tampa Times, and rose to become Chairman, President and Chief Executive of Media General. Mr. Bryan believed strongly in a free press and was proud to call himself a “newspaperman.” He often said he “enjoyed almost very day” that he spent working in the media business. He was a true Southern Gentleman.

Mr. Bryan was born in Richmond on May 4, 1938. He was educated at St. Christopher’s School in Richmond, the Episcopal High School in Alexandria (class of 1956), and the University of Virginia (BA in philosophy 1960). He served on active duty as an infantry officer in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1960 to 1962, and went to law school at the University of Virginia for one year (1962-63).

He was elected to the board of directors of Media General in 1974, vice chairman and executive vice president in 1985, and chairman, president and chief executive in July 1990. In 2005 he relinquished his duties as publisher of the Richmond Times-Dispatch and as chief executive of Media General, and continued to serve as chairman of the board.