Georgia Catherine Owens Fry

Two days before her passing, Georgia said, “This is the pits.” Ain’t that the truth. Heaven gained a witty, gorgeous angel on April 20, 2011, when Georgia left this earth, her family at her side too soon for those who loved her, but a peaceful end after a battle with leukemia. She was a beloved sister, wife, mother, grandmother, & friend who will be missed more than words can convey. Those who knew her will never forget her smile, her devotion to her faith, her clever way of prefacing most maternal advice with the words “Listen to my face,” and her strong family pride. Georgia was born in 1933 in Pierre, SD, and grew up both there and in the nearby town of Onida. She graduated from Pierre HS in 1951 and received her AD from Stephens College in Columbia, MO, in 1953. Over the next 14 years, Georgia lived the Mary Tyler Moore life before it became fashionable, much of it in the same location as the famed Mary Richards. Following a voyage by sea to explore Europe’s treasures, she planted roots in several cities: Minneapolis, where she worked in a bank, managed a travel agency, and was secretary to the lawyer for the well-known Gold Bond Stamp Company; Wickenburg, AZ, where she worked on a dude ranch; and San Francisco, which she drove to proudly in her newfangled VW Beetle. Georgia later swapped the northern cold for balmy Florida, where she met her husband, Lynn. They were married in St. Petersburg on May 31, 1969, and after moving to Jacksonville, they welcomed two children into their family in 1972 and 1974. The Frys moved to Dallas in 1977, and by 1980 had learned that TX summers were better spent in CO. They purchased a condo in Breckenridge and took regular family trips there for over 20 years. After beating breast cancer in 1993, Georgia decided it was time to travel even further. Over the next 15+ years, she journeyed both on her own and with her husband to such sites as Nepal, Turkey, Argentina, Chile, England, France, Germany, Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, Africa, and China. Her bridge and Bible study pals will tell you she was a true friend, avid reader, skier, and crossword addict, always up for a lakehouse weekend with the girls. Her husband would say he loved her deeply, even though she never let him speak when “Jeopardy” was on. Her children would say they were honored to have had her guidance and love all their lives, and to have held her hands as she walked into Heaven. Georgia was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur J. and Louise Owens, and her brother, John Owens. She is survived by her husband, Lynn; son, Matthew Fry, of Missoula, MT; daughter & son-in-law, Sarah & Matthew Close, & adoring grandkids, Emma (9), Clarissa (7), & Joseph (3) of Southlake; and siblings Peggy Rath & Michael Owens of Onida, and Barbara Sarboraria of Livermore, CA. Erma Bombeck wrote, “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me'.” You can say that for sure, Mom. Help us celebrate this truth at a funeral Mass on Friday, April 29, 2011, at 1:00 p.m. at ST. RITA CATHOLIC CHURCH in Dallas. Donation info (in lieu of flowers) is available online at www.reallyclose.com/georgiafry. (Yes, Mom, we really set up a Web site for you. And no, you don’t have to figure out how to use it.)

After the service, family and friends are invited to gather & share stories at the Fry family home, 4748 Forest Bend Rd, Dallas, TX 75244

Arrangements under the direction of Calvary Hill Funeral Home, Dallas, TX.