Canandaigua: At age 74, Brieant passed away on Thursday, August 17, 2023 at Sutton Hill Center in North Andover, MA. He was born in 1949, in Ossining, NY, to Earl and Aletha (Rogers) Stephens. He is predeceased by his parents and wife of 49 years, Edna A. (Nevins) Stephens; his sisters and brother in laws, Nancy and Howard “Boots” Adams, Virginia and Thomas Taggart, and William (Bill) Wetherwax.
Brieant enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1969 prior to finishing high school, though he did attain his GED during his enlistment. He rose to the rank of SP4 Tank Driver in the 1- 87th Infantry stationed out of German for the majority of his service. In 1973 he reenlisted with the US Army reserves through 1975 when he was honorably discharged. Afterward, he also continued his education at SUNY Westchester Community College.
Brieant was a machinery quality inspector with Z-Axis in Phelps, NY for 25 years. He retired in December 2014 at the age of 63. After retirement, he spent his time volunteering for the VA providing transportation to veterans, and participating in the SilverSneakers program out of the Canandaigua YMCA.
He is survived by his children; Darlene (Darell) Alexander of Canandaigua, NY, Earl (Amy) Stephens of North Andover, MA, Stacy (Bri Schmitt) Stephens of Rochester, NY; his sister Carol Wetherwax of Avon, NY, his six grandchildren Darell Jr, Dante, Dana, Damian, Ethan, and Aiden. He is also survived by several nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Friends and family are invited to call on Saturday, September 16th, from 3-4pm at the Kevin W. Dougherty Funeral Home, Inc., 21 Big Tree St, Rte 15 & 20A, Livonia, where Brieant’s Funeral Service, with military honors, will be held at 4pm, following calling hours. Memorial contributions may be made to: VA Medical Center, c/o Voluntary Service (135), Canandaigua, New York 14424 or to ElderCare Resource Center, 532 Broadhollow Road, Suite 123, Melville, New York 11747. To share a memory or a condolence, please visit: www.doughertyfuneralhomes.com