The business community and many others are mourning the death of Rick Bryson, who founded Bryson Financial, one of the largest insurance brokerage firms in the nation.
Bryson died at 81 after a long battle with cancer.
The Long Beach native has earned numerous awards and accolades over his decades in Long Beach.
He is in the CSULB Athletic Hall of Fame for both football and baseball, after batting .350 for the Dirtbags baseball team in 1964 when the LBSU won the university’s first baseball conference championship. He was named a Distinguished Alumni of Cal State Long Beach in 2012 for his academic and community achievements. He was also inducted in the Long Beach Polytechnic High School Football Hall of Fame.
Bryson Financial has been a prominent fixture above the Blair Field scoreboard since 2022, when he and other donors helped fund improvements to the Dirtbags’ stadium.
He and his son, Trent, the CEO of Bryson Financial, were also named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce for their commitment to community service and the business community.
The chamber said it is “deeply saddened” to hear of Bryson’s passing, praising Bryson for his leadership and long-standing community service that “left a mark on our city.”
“He built a company that has helped countless businesses and families, and he remained deeply involved in supporting Long Beach throughout his life,” the Chamber said in a social media post. “His impact on our business community will not be forgotten.”