Charles Lindbergh Fry, 92, co-founder of Fry’s Food Stores, died in his sleep Monday, Jan. 20, at the home he shared with his wife Alice in Paradise Valley, Arizona.
After 68 years of marriage, he stayed by his wife’s side as long as his body would allow. He shared love and laughs with close family and friends, and competitive dominoes with worthy opponents. He was even crowned World Domino Champion in San Francisco in 1970.
Mr. Fry was born on May 31, 1927, in Stigler, Oklahoma, to Leela Mae and Dalquist Dalquin Fry. He had four brothers and sisters—Yvonne, Don, Cotton and Laverne.
He and his family lived through the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl and were shaped by hardship and close kin.
Mr. Fry played basketball with a vengeance and after graduating from Bartlesville High School in 1944, went on to play for Oklahoma State on a scholarship, and graduated from East Texas Baptist College in 1949, where he earned all-state honors.
He served his country well in the U.S. Navy from 1944-1945 on the Heavy Cruiser Chicago.
He met his beautiful and brainy wife Alice Jean and had the good sense to marry her in 1951. As he liked to say, they made a great team.
The Frys moved to Wichita, Kansas, where Alice worked for Cessna and Chuck worked for Boeing to save enough money to kick start a business of their own. They wisely invested in Mr. Fry’s grocery store venture with his brother Don—Fry’s Food Stores in 1955 in Richmond, California.
Many will know the phrase “Your best buys are always at Fry’s.” Mr. Fry was a visionary, and he and his brother grew their grocery store chain from one to many, always striving for great quality at a good price.
They eventually sold to the mega-chain Kroger, and Mrs. Fry continued to shop at Fry’s and school willing managers on how to stay on brand to provide top notch service and quality. Mr. Fry enjoyed looking at his Kroger stock as it gained value over the years.
The Frys raised three rambunctious boys—John, Randy and Dave on their ranch in Martinez, California.
The Fry boys eventually pooled their resources and formed Fry’s Electronics in 1985, inspired by their dad’s grocery business and the burgeoning computer industry. It was the Silicon Valley synthesis of computer chips and potato chips.
The Frys are blessed with 10 grandchildren—Natalie, Joshua, Lina, Amora, Erica, Will, Jake, David, Brad and Amy; and nine great-grandchildren—Nicole, Megan, Haley, Evan, Elise, Charlie, Kaylee, MacKenzie and Logan.
Mr. Fry’s memorial service was held Jan. 27 at Oakmont Memorial Park in Lafayette, California.
