Lieutenant Colonel Robert Lee Fry
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Lee Fry, a proud veteran of the United States Marine Corps passed away peacefully on Thursday, November 9, 2023, after a brief illness.
Born June 6, 1932, in Wyoming, Illinois, Robert was the son of shopkeepers Marine Sgt. John Howard and Helen Fry. Robert enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1951, and was soon selected for training at the Marine Corps Officer Candidates School in 1953, where he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant.
On August 31, 1957, Robert “Bob” married his great love, Ann Norris, of Philadelphia, and they remained happily married for 63 years before Ann’s passing in 2020. Along with their first-born daughter Lee Ann, they raised two sons, John and Christopher.
A veteran of the Korean War and Vietnam War, Lt. Col. Fry retired from his Marine Corps in July of 1978. His final posting was at Camp Lejeune as Base Special Services Officer.
In September of 1978, Bob accepted a position as the Director of the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro NC, which perfectly suited his leadership expertise and his love of wildlife. He was instrumental in the design, construction, and opening of the African continent section of the zoo along with the world renown Aviary. Bob worked tirelessly to gain funding for the zoo, along with helping to make it one of the top zoos in the country and a major tourist attraction for the state.
Bob was a lifetime member of the Marine Corps Association, the World Zoo Council, on the board of Directors at National Geographic, a member of the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums, and a member of the Jane Goodall Institute. He was also a member of the Rotary Club for over 50 yrs.
In 1993, Bob and Ann retired from the zoo and enjoyed living on the coast of North Carolina at St. James. He loved golfing, gardening, and spending time with his grandchildren. In 2018, Bob and Ann made their last move to Windsor Point Retirement community in Fuquay Varina to be closer to their children and grandchildren.
Along with his parents, Bob was preceded in death by his wife Ann, daughter Lee Ann (Fry) Watson, and brother Howard Fry. He is survived by his sons Christopher and John (Elizabeth), son-in-law Jeff Watson, grandchildren Sarah (Fry) Dickson and husband Dan, Robert Fry, Taylor Watson (Nohely), Emma Fry, and Christopher Fry, as well as many nieces and nephews.
A private family ceremony will be held at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.
Should friends desire, contributions may be sent to https://www.nczoo.com/forms/store/teaching-the-world/ or https://secure.janegoodall.org/give/328356/#!/donation/checkout.