Gerald Jerry Dowden Fridrich

FRIDRICH, Gerald Dowden (Jerry) was called by his Lord and Savior, June 23, 2013 to come home to a place that God had prepared for him in Heaven. Jerry was born in Washington Indiana on January 3, 1933 to the late John and Pauline Fridrich. He graduated from Washington Catholic High School where he was an outstanding athlete and earned a scholarship to play basketball at Vanderbilt University from 1952 - 1955. Jerry also played on the Vanderbilt baseball team. It was at Vanderbilt where Jerry met the love of his life Barbara White Fridrich. They were married for 53 wonderful years and Jerry will now be reunited with Barbara in heaven. After graduating from Vanderbilt, Jerry teamed up with his wife’s first cousin Skipper Donnelly and they started Donnelly & Fridrich Insurance Agency. The company grew over the years and is now known as Fridrich, Pinson & Rothberg Insurance Agency of which Jerry served as Chairman. In later years Jerry partnered with a friend that he met at Vanderbilt - Hale Hooper, and they started Fridrich & Hooper Realty. That company today is known as Fridrich & Clark Realty where Jerry served as Chairman as well. Jerry was also a partner in Athens Distributing Company of Memphis. He was a member of Saint Henry Catholic Church. Jerry had his priorities in line - God - Family - Friends - Work. He loved to go to Vanderbilt athletic events. He wore the black and gold with pride. Jerry is survived by his son Steve (Phyllis) and their children Sloan, Ella and Steven; his son Howard and his daughter Kristin (Robbie) King and his great grandson Rowe; his daughter Lisa (Chip) Grayson of Memphis and their children, Shelley, Virginia, and John; and his son Chip (Heather) and their children Hannah, Dowden, and Lewis. Jerry is also survived by his sister Jackie Grannan from Washington, Indiana. The family also wants to honor the friendship and love that Jerry enjoyed with Mary Virginia Williams. Visitation with the family will take place on Wednesday June 26, 2013 from 4 - 8 p.m. at Saint Henry Catholic Church. A Funeral Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Thursday June 27, 2013 at Saint Henry Catholic Church. Father Philip Breen will serve as celebrant. Several priests of the Diocese of Nashville will serve as concelebrants. Internment immediately following at Calvary Cemetery. Active Pallbearers are Tommy White, Don White, Jack Aaron, Bubba Donnelly, Bill Faimon, David Vaughan, Tom Price, Maurice Pinson, Jamie Rothberg, Jimmy Miller and Jimmy Wilson. Honorary Pallbearers are Bill Johnson, Trey White, Ricky Speed, Scott Moore, Johnny Aaron, Mike Aaron, Jay Donnelly, Jack Heldman, Bill Gee, Bill Knapp, John Grayson Sr., Jim Denton, Adam Rothberg, Tommy Parker, Jay Dickerson, Jack Nance, Buddy Stack, Charles Strobel, Whit Clark, Bob Howard, Hale Hooper and Constantino Ponce. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that memorials be made to The Room in the Inn, P.O. Box 25309, Nashville, TN, 37202 or the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee (in care of the Barbara White Fridrich Charitable Fund), 3833 Cleghorn Ave. Suite 400, Nashville, TN. 37215.