Edward Sims Fry

Edward Sims Fry was born August 16, 1934 to George Phillip and Alice (Lenz)
Fry in San Antonio (Bexar County) Texas. He was married to Mary Margaret Virden on
October 18, 1958 in Plainview, Texas.
He graduated from Poteet High School, Poteet, Texas in 1952. He attended
Baylor University that Fall and then enlisted in the U.S. Navy. His career spanned 26
years and retired as a Chief Petty Officer Aviation Machinist Mate. He served aboard
aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean during the Lebanon Crisis and made several
deployments on carriers during the Vietnam War.
After retiring from the Navy, the family moved to Gruver, Texas. He worked for
Sperry-New Holland in Guymon and Perryton. Then he worked as a service rep for
Versatile Tractor Co. In 1988 he began working as a long haul truck driver. In 1995-96
he drove a school bus for Gruver ISD.
In January 1997 he went to the Northwest to serve as a Mission Service Corp
volunteer representing Southern Baptists in Oak Harbor, WA and Grants Pass, OR. He
and Margaret moved to Dalhart, Texas in September 2003 where they became active in
the Lincoln Street Baptist Church and later the First Baptist Church. In 2010 they retired
to Kilgore, TX near their daughter and family. They were members of Liberty City First
Baptist Church and were volunteers at the Hwy 80 Rescue Mission in Longview.
He loved his Lord and spent lots of time studying and sharing His Word. His
second love was his family. He was a devoted and loving husband and a tender and
protective father to his three children: Phillip, LeeAnn, and Steven. He dearly loved his
grandchildren: Phillip Fry, Jr, Laura Wisotsky, Alexis Stossel, Madison Sheets, Logan
Fry, Shelbi Allardyce, Laikyn Arquette, Shelby Luck, and Neil Hernes. Along with his
great-grandchildren: Samuel Stossel, Adelyn Allardyce, Ashley & Alyssa Hernes, and
Addycen & Ayden Luck.
He had many other spiritual children—people whose lives he touched and loved
and who called him “Dad” and “Grampy”.