Fry's Founder Dies at 92 in Arizona

Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

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jamcool
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Fry's Founder Dies at 92 in Arizona

Post by jamcool »

PHOENIX — Donald Fry, who founded the Fry's supermarket chain that spread across California and Arizona, has died at age 92.

Fry died Tuesday of pneumonia at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix. He had been suffering from Parkinson's disease.

Fry founded Fry's Food Stores Inc. with his brother Charles in California and expanded into Arizona in 1960. The chain had about 100 stores when it was sold in 1972. The Fry's Food and Drug Store chain is now owned by Cincinnati-based Kroger Co.

Born in Eureka, Okla., Fry first opened a meat market while in his 20s. After service in an Army armored cavalry unit during World War II, he married and returned to Oklahoma, where he managed a supermarket. He earned a business administration degree at the University of California, Berkeley, then settled in California and worked in meat markets before founding the first Fry's store. He moved to Arizona in the late 1950s.

After retiring from the grocery business, he started real estate development firm Fry Investment Co. with family members in 1982. Many family members still work for the company.

His son Jeff Fry described his father as an extremely hard worker who also was dedicated to family.

"He took his job very seriously, but his family was of the utmost importance," Fry said. "He left work at work, and (when he) came home it was family time."

Beside his son Jeff, Fry is survived by his wife, Mollie; daughter Jennifer; a sister, Laverne Coleman; and his brother Charles. A son, Jonathan, died in 1997.

Funeral services will be private. The family said donations can be made to Research for Parkinson's Disease, in care of the Neurological Department at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, 13400 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ 85259.
jamcool
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Post by jamcool »

An Addendum....

This past Sunday Fry's Food had a full page ad remembering Donald Fry. Included in the ad were photos of a circa 1960 Fry's food store and a current Fry's Food/Drug store. Nice to see a business remembering their founder even if they are part of a bigger company.
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