Kenneth A. Fry

1954 - 2021

Kenneth A. Fry, 66, of Chestertown, died of cancer on October 29, 2021, despite extensive treatments, generous support from family and friends, and his own unwavering determination.

Born in Olney, Maryland, on November 20, 1954, he was the son of the late Edwin C. and Lorraine Miller Fry and the youngest of four children. Ken spent his early years in Laytonsville and was proud of his fifth-generation farming family history in Montgomery County. His parents relocated Fair Hill Farms to Chestertown in 1960, where he attended Kent County schools before graduating from McDonogh School in Owings Mills in 1972.

Ken's early years revolved around agriculture. In addition to working on the family farm throughout his childhood, Ken enjoyed summers in 4-H showing dairy cattle and college years competing in dairy judging on a national level. While at the University of Maryland, he served as president of the agriculture fraternity Alpha Gamma Rho and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomy in 1976.

After college, Ken returned to Chestertown to work on the family farm and met future wife, Bronwyn Taylor. Bronwyn introduced Ken to what became a lifelong interest in travel and exploration of the world. Married in 1979, Ken and Bronwyn decided to reconfigure their lives to provide a global upbringing for their children.

Before the age of internet, email, or accessible international calls, Ken established a plan to transition from a geographically-rooted farming life to an international path. Ken moved his family to Thailand in 1988 to gain international experience and launch his career. He learned the Thai language so that he could immerse himself in local agriculture projects and leveraged these experiences into a role for a multinational corporation, Cargill. During his ten years with Cargill's Nutrena Feeds, Ken led efforts to enter new markets in Sri Lanka and the Philippines, establishing animal feed mills from the ground up, including selecting locations, overseeing design and construction, and hiring and training local employees for production.

Always a proponent of locally-owned businesses, Ken found an ideal match to bring his skills and experience back to Kent County when he joined Willard Agri-Services in 2004. Initially hired to oversee development and construction of a new fertilizer plant in Greenwood, Delaware, Ken ultimately served as the chief operating officer for the company, a role he still held at the time of his cancer diagnosis.

The son of an artist, Ken enjoyed developing his own artistic creations. He used his great-grandfather's metal forge to reshape retired farm equipment into sculptures. Never one to rely upon an off-the-shelf solution to meet his performance and aesthetic standards, Ken converted an abandoned barn into his family's home and designed and fabricated an original concept for a pneumatic, stainless steel dock on the Chesapeake Bay. Throughout his travels in 66 countries, Ken appreciated seeing how people tackle projects in different ways and was deeply influenced by his observations of problem solving and ingenuity in the face of limited resources.

Ken was a consummate teacher and mentor in both personal and professional realms. For those he taught, Ken had high expectations. In return, he modeled extraordinary work ethic and provided remarkable patience, guidance, and ingenuity. Ken almost always had an idea as to how to make something work in a way that was more efficient or more interesting, and often difficult for others to imagine or understand until he brought his idea to reality.

Ken was preceded in death by parents Edwin C. and Lorraine. He is survived by Bronwyn, his wife of 42 years; son Dylan, of Robbinsville, New Jersey; daughter Hannah Henn (Curt, Clara, and Frederick), of Washington, D.C.; sister Joan Cummings (Doug), of Wilmington, Delaware; and brothers, Edwin R. (Marian) and Robert (Judy Gifford), of Chestertown.

It was Ken's sincere wish to support and strengthen the next generation of farmers in Kent County. Therefore, he suggested that any contributions in his memory be made to the Maryland 4-H Foundation, 8020 Greenmead Drive, College Park, MD 20740. Please note in the memorandum line that the gift is in memory of Ken Fry, Kent County 4-H.

A public memorial gathering will be held on what would have been Ken's 67th birthday on November 20, beginning at 12 p.m. at Willard Agri-Services, 11523 Lynch Road, Worton, Maryland.