Staci Bryant, a second-generation florist in Greenville, South Carolina who was known for her unconditional love and friendliness to all, died Oct. 16 doing what she loved most — helping other people.
Bryant, 51, was fatally struck by a vehicle in a tragic accident on October 16 as she handed out bouquets to passersby during the Society of American Florists’ annual Petal It Forward event.
“We’ve all agreed that we’re going to do everything we can to keep Staci’s story out there, that you love unconditionally until your last breath because that’s what she was doing,” says her mother, Debi Bush, who owns Expressions Unlimited where Bryant worked. “When she was struck down, she was loving unconditionally.”
‘The Very Best of Us’
Even when Expressions Unlimited customers were unhappy, Bryant was able to win them over with her charm, warmth and kindness.
“Staci was incredibly kind, funny, smart, and hardworking,” says Expressions Unlimited sales manager Stephanie Cutts. “She loved helping clients and could sweet talk the grumpiest clients, and they would leave with a smile on their face. She was the very best of us and she made me a better person by showing me the way to truly love people.”
Bryant was also known to offer her hand of friendship to other florists she met during industry events. Scott Jones of American Floral in Columbia, South Carolina, met Bryant during SAF Miami 2024, the organization’s annual convention in August. He was immediately impressed by how friendly and magnetic she was. They quickly became friends and, after the event, they stayed in touch and shared their shop experiences.
“We just instantly hit it off and we became fast friends. I really felt like that was a connection I was going to have forever,” says Jones. “I probably can count on both hands the people in this business who are scattered across the country that I could pick up the phone and go, ‘Hey, I have an issue and I need to talk it through with somebody who understands.’ She was one of those people.”
A Catalyst for Change
Years ago Bryant remarked to her mother that some people don’t have money to eat on Friday because they live paycheck to paycheck. She’d noticed some employees either skipped lunch or borrowed money from someone else. To show how much she appreciated them and the work they did, she began providing lunch every Friday.
“When it was the end of the day, she knew which employees to offer food to take home and would say, ‘Please take the rest of this home with you to your family,’” Bush says.
Bryant’s kindness and unconditional love were also on display when she added a new member to the Expressions Unlimited family — a homeless man she paid to help around the shop. He had been struggling with drug addiction and was so touched by Bryant’s encouragement — something he hadn’t received from his own relatives — that she became a catalyst for him to change.
“He was by my side at the funeral and said that he’s a part of our family now because Staci believed in him when no one else believed that he could turn his life around,” Bush says. “That was Staci’s nature. She saw redeeming qualities in everyone.”
Read Bryant’s obituary here.
Kenya McCullum is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.