William Franklin "Bill" Fabry Sr.

FABRY, William "Bill" Franklin Sr., 87, of Chesterfield, left this mortal life on November 3, 2010. He was born October 16, 1923 in Rossmore, W.Va. as the third of six children of Austrian immigrants. As a young man at Milton High School he ran track, and worked part-time in Bischoff Glass Plant, specializing in hand-blown glassware. After graduating high school he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served on the U.S. Transport ship U.S.S. United States traversing the North Atlantic as a radio operator during WWII. During his Navy career he met Aileen Bell, an employee of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. On November 2, 1944 William and Aileen were married. He was discharged from the Navy in 1945 at the end of WWII and shortly after the birth of their son, William Jr. They relocated to Richmond where he continued his passion for photography by working with a local blueprint, photo-stat and engineering supplies company. In 1959, he opened the Bill Fabry Reproduction and Supply Company. Aileen and Bill worked together on the success of their company. Bill retired in 1990 after selling the business (which still bears his name). He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Eunice Aileen Fabry. He is survived by his son, William F. Fabry Jr. and his wife, Linda; sister and brother-in-law, Elizabeth and James Salerno; brothers and sister-in-law, John Fabry and Robert and Kathryn Fabry; grandchildren, Jason and Meredith Fabry. The family will receive friends 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday (today) at Morrissett Funeral Home, 6500 Iron Bridge Road (Rte. 10). His funeral service will be 11 a.m. Monday at the funeral home. Interment will follow at Dale Memorial Park. The family suggests donations be made to New Covenant Presbyterian Church, 6415 Irongate Drive, Richmond, Va. 23234.



This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.