Julia Corrigan Bryant

Julia Corrigan Bryant, 44, of Olathe, Kansas, passed away surrounded by family and friends on October 23, 2026. She was born on April 13, 1982, in Topeka, Kansas to Harry Bryant and Jo (Corrigan) Bryant.

She was the incredible mother to Jayden and Julian and loving aunt to Evan and Kyle. Julia had a generous heart. She loved her family and loved her friends, fiercely. She dedicated herself to supporting her children and everyone she loved. She was there for them with a thoughtful gift or her presence at their important activities and events.

Julia grew up in Topeka where she went to Bishop Elementary, Jardine Middle, and Topeka High School (THS). She played many sports, loved KU basketball, spent her summers at the pool, loved spending time with her friends, and collecting American Girl dolls. She was an especially accomplished swimmer, swimming for Topeka Swim Association (TSA) and THS, going to State each year and traveling to meets across the country with TSA. Her specialty was breaststroke.

Julia went to college at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, CT to swim competitively. She enjoyed the east coast and all the culture, food, and fun. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Sociology. She moved back to the Midwest after school and began working in the mental health field. At the time of her death, she worked at Sunflower Health Plan on the Behavioral Health Team.

Once her boys were born, she became a dedicated mother. She loved to travel with them and plan special birthday and holiday celebrations. They became a family of animal lovers, with many pets and visits to every zoo, aquarium, and animal rescue they came across. They also loved Legos and had an unrivaled collection.

She was suddenly diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer in July 2025 at the age of 43, with no symptoms or history. After surgery, she did everything possible to fight the disease. She endured many grueling rounds of chemo, she traveled to hospitals and doctors across the country trying to find the best course of action, and she participated in a clinical trial. While enduring treatment, she was still doing all she could with her boys (Jayden was a senior and she was visiting colleges with him). She would be miserable for a week with chemo and then try to maximize her “good” days by spending time with her family, friends, and doing fun things. She took several trips, in the first half of 2026, trying to see people and enjoy places. In June, a large group of friends, along with their families, went to Florida. We’re so thankful they all got to be together. Things began to decline after that as treatments stopped working. She was still travelling for appointments and got into a trial, but it did not work. Everyone around her shared the frustration that cancer took our beloved Julia.

Julia is survived by her father, Harry Bryant of Topeka, KS; her children, Jayden and Julian Robinson of Olathe, KS; her sister and brother-in-law, Kate (Bryant) and Matt McNeil of Olathe, KS, and her nephews, Evan and Kyle McNeil of Olathe, KS.

Julia was preceded in death by her mother, Jo Bryant.

Her Celebration of Life will take place on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 2 pm at Penwell-Gabel, 14275 S Black Bob Rd, Olathe, KS 66062 and will be live streamed online at the link below the obituary. There will be a reception immediately following the service at the same location. We invite guests to honor Julia by wearing something Julia would have worn, a Charlie Hustle heart KC shirt, a KU shirt, a Chiefs shirt, an Olathe North Eagles shirt, and since Jayden is now a Wildcat, even a purple shirt is acceptable.

Julia requested contributions in her memory to help support her boys as her sister and brother-in-law took over the task of supporting and raising them. Donations can be made via Venmo to @mattrmcneil or @Jayden-Robinson-91. Checks can be made out to Kate McNeil and mailed to Penwell-Gabel Funeral Home.