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FRY, HELEN FLANAGAN - widow of George W. Fry, superintendent of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the 1960s, died October 26, 2012, of complications after a hip replacement following a fall in June. The mother of four, grandmother of seven and great grandmother of six was 96 and would have been 97 on November 1st. She was very proud of her age, particularly in recent years when she looked much younger than she was. She would say to strangers, "Guess how old you think I am." Born in 1915 in Elkins, W.VA, she was known as Helen by her friends although her mother called her by her full name, Mary Helen. Her husband called her Pardy because she was his partner in a 40-year career with the U.S. government, principally with the National Park Service. The Frys married in 1933 while George was a forester with the CCC program in West Virginia. The first park assignment was at Crater Lake in Oregon in 1936. Their first winter there marked the first time women and children were allowed to live inside the park. Helen learned to ski to get around and bought groceries for a six-month period in the wintertime. Other parks where the couple lived were Rocky Mountain, Mammoth Cave, Everglades, Isle Royale and the Smokies, where George was superintendent from 1963-69. During that time, Helen was a volunteer worker for community drives in Gatlinburg, a member of the Gatlinburg Garden Club and co-chair for the Annual Wildflower Pilgrimage for two years. She was twice hostess to conferences for park superintendents held in Gatlinburg. During their time in Gatlinburg, her husband was active with the Great Smoky Mountain Boy Scout Council in Knoxville. They established the George and Helen Fry Eagle Scholarship award presented annually to a high school senior with the ranked of Eagle, who attends college. Helen was the recipient of the mother's pin recognizing her sons' Eagle Scout awards. George Fry also had regional NPS jobs; he was associate director in the Southeast regional office in Atlanta when he retired in 1972. That year the Frys returned to Gatlinburg, bought a home and then traveled for nearly 20 years. The Frys were active at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Gatlinburg. George died in 2000; they were married 66 years. Soon afterward, she moved to Echo Ridge retirement center in Knoxville. That was her home until recently. The family thanks the staff of NHC Fort Sanders for their tender and loving care of Helen the past few weeks. The family also is appreciative of the women of her church who sent her a card every week and to Sharon Carter for assisting in her care. Helen Fry is survived by her children, Georgiana Fry Vines, a News Sentinel political columnist; Carolyn Fry (Don) Hartman, Lexington, KY;
Dr. Douglas S. Fry, Wilmington, NC; and John (Kristn) Fry, Johnson City, TN; grandchildren, Hilary (Robin) Hartman, Wilmore, KY; Carla Vines Winchester, Louisville, TN; Hope Hartman (Denny Otsuga), Ft. Collins, Colo.; Sterling (Kimmy) Fry Jr., Williamsburg, VA; Dr. Chas (Jeanne) Hartman, Lexington, KY; and Amelia Fry (Andrew) McCormick and Samantha Fry (Andy) Hensley, of Johnson City; great grandchildren, Kylie and Cade Winchester, Louisville, TN; Bailey and Jakob Hartman, Wilmore, KY; Isabella Hartman, Lexington, KY; and Rio Fry, Williamsburg, VA; and a brother, Jimmie (Carol) Flanagan, Lavalle, MD. Doug Fry, a pediatric dentist, and his late wife, Peggy, established a scholarship in his mother's name on her 90th birthday that is awarded annually to a student dentist from East Tennessee. Memorials may be made to the Helen Flanagan Fry Scholarship, UT Health Science Center, 62 S. Dunlap, Suite 500, Memphis, TN 38163; Fry Eagle Scholarship with the Great Smoky Mountain Boy Scout Council, 1333 Old Weisgarber Rd., Knoxville, TN 37919; Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, 9275 Tremont Rd., Townsend, TN 37882; or Our Savior Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 511, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Graveside services in Shiloh Cemetery in Pigeon Forge on Sunday will be private. A public "celebration of life" will be held later at St. John's Cathedral in Knoxville. Arrangements by Atchley Funeral Home. (www.atchleyfuneralhome.com)
Published in Knoxville News Sentinel on October 28, 2012
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