Hiram Raymond Fry's Obituary
Hiram Fry was born in Jerome Idaho on November 11, 1931, the eldest of 6 children. He was a Vandal graduating from the University of Idaho where he participated in the ROTC program with the Air Force. After graduation, he immediately moved to St Louis Missouri to attend Washington University School of Dental Medicine. Upon graduation and successful completion of his dental boards, it was time to fulfill his commitment to the USAF. He requested his first commission be in Europe. He was assigned to the Air Force base in Tripoli, Lybia. Surprised to find out he received his request, US troops were managed through European command. Unbeknownst to him, it would be the deployment of a lifetime. There he met the woman he would love and be married to for 61 years. They enjoyed various places around the world with his numerous transfers including: Corvallis Oregon, Okinawa Japan, Columbus Ohio, and San Antonio Texas. While in Ohio, he attended the Ohio State University, where he received a Master of Science. He retired from the Air Force after 20 years of service as a full Colonel.
In the summer of 1979, he became the graduate director of the periodontics program at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He remained at the university until his retirement in 2010 at the age of 79 years. Leaving many undergraduate and graduate students, as well as patients, better than when they arrived touched by his mentoring, patience and kindness. He was honored by having the Dr. Hiram R Fry Graduate Periodontics Clinic named after him.
He spent his retirement years enjoying his vegetable garden. He volunteered at the Memphis City Food Bank. He was a member of the WWII Society at the National Museum in New Orleans. He built and collected WWII airplanes. He also had a love for classical music enjoying the Memphis Symphony Orchestra for many years. He was a long time member of the Germantown United Methodist Church. Where he functioned as an initial member of the Fellowship Forum, taught Sunday School to high school students and sat on various music committees.
Hiram is survived by his beloved wife, Barbara Shumaker Fry, their two daughters Karen Fry Goldsmith and Marah Fry Watts. He was also blessed with two bonus children, Kristi Denney Burney and Mark D Denney. He and his wife share 10 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee 38119 (901) 767-8930.
“Where Memphis comes to remember, since 1924.”
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