Rochelle Fry

Rochelle (Morris) Fry

Sept. 18, 1942 - Sept. 14, 2023

BLOOMINGTON - Rochelle (Morris) Fry, of Bloomington, IL passed away suddenly on Thursday, September 14, 2023 just four days before what would have been her 81st birthday. The cause of death was a major and unforeseen cardiac event.

Rochelle was born on September 18, 1942, and was raised in Kankakee, IL, as the only child of Howard and Wanda Morris, who preceded her in death.

In 1960, Rochelle enrolled at Illinois State Normal University where she earned a Teaching degree in Home Economics.

She began her teaching career at St. Anne High School in St. Anne, IL before taking a position in 1970 at Bloomington High School, where she taught for 18 years. Following her teaching career, Rochelle found a second career leveraging her teaching and investigative skills in the field of Worker's Compensation for Liberty Mutual and later for Mitsubishi Motors from which she retired early in the 1990s following the death of her father to begin a series of travel adventures with her mother.

An avid lover of sand and beaches, Rochelle had fond childhood memories of visiting the Dunes in Indiana with her parents. During one of her college years, she spent a summer in Virginia Beach, VA working at a resort called Marilyn's Inn.

During her years as a teacher in Bloomington, Rochelle would pack up her family on the last day of school and drive back to Virginia Beach where they would spend several summers before returning to Illinois for the new school year.

Known as "Grandma Rocky" by her four adoring granddaughters, "Mom" by her two children, and Rochelle by countless friends, co-workers, and the many local businesses she frequented, she was widely known for her quirky yet friendly personality. Rochelle loved to drive and had a wide range of favorite shops and restaurants throughout Bloomington-Normal and especially in the many small towns surrounding the Twin Cities where she generated close and lasting friendships with the staff of the businesses she frequented.

Rochelle is survived by her son, Howard "Howie" Fry, his wife, Valerie; his former wife, Karlene (Wooley) Walter their two daughters: Lauren (Fry) Hurley (Patrick Hurley and great-grandson Palmer Hurley) and Kendall (Fry) Leonard (Brett Leonard). She is also survived by her daughter Suzanne "Suzy" (Fry) Dees, her husband, Paul Dees, and their two daughters: Kira Dees and Haley Dees; as well as her former husband, Terry Fry.

Rochelle specified in her last will and testament that she did not want a funeral or memorial service, so instead there will be a Celebration of Life to be held at a date in the very near future.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to SOAR Special Olympics Programming (SOAR Special Olympics, 109 E. Olive St. Bloomington, IL 61701), which has been an important part of her granddaughter Kira's life.

Calvert & Metzler Memorial Home in Bloomington is handling arrangements. Please share online condolences at www.calvertmemorial.com.