Terry Jay Fry

Terry Jay Fry, 90, of Mesquite, NV, passed away peacefully at his son’s home in Ogden, Utah while visiting on September 24, 2023. The 3^rd of six children, Terry was born on October 25, 1932, in Salt Lake City, Utah to Orrin Archibald and Alberta “Betty” Luticia Royal Fry. Terry grew up in the Jefferson/Ballpark area of Salt Lake City and attended South High for one year before joining the United States Navy at the age of 17.

Before leaving for Boot Camp in the Spring of 1950, Terry was awarded the Eagle Scout from the Boy Scouts of America. Affectionately called “TJ”, he finished Boot Camp in June 1950 at the San Diego Naval Station. When war broke out in Korea, he was assigned to the Destroyer, Floyd B. Parks, DD884. The Parks was assigned to Task Force 77 and sailed to Korea. On his 18^th birthday, Terry was aboard his ship in Won-son Harbor when the Battle of Won-son, Korea started. For the next 60 days the Navy and Marines battled to gain a foothold in Won-son.

After his Naval service, Terry returned to Salt Lake City where he met and married Donna Evans. They moved to Scottsdale, Arizona where Terry worked for Motorola. “TJ” played basketball and fast-pitch softball on Motorola’s company team. In 1959 they moved to Bountiful, Utah where he went to work for Sperry Univac.

In 1968, a friend of Terry’s from his old neighborhood in SLC, Dr. Farrell Calton, wanted to start the first Cardiac Cath Lab North of SLC, and he asked Terry to help him do it. In 1970, they put the first pacemaker in a patient at the Dee Memorial Hospital. For over thirty years, “TJ” was the Department Head of the Cardio-Pulmonary Department at McKay-Dee, now called the McKay-Dee Heart Institute. After retiring from McKay-Dee, he moved to Henderson, Nevada to help start a new Cath Lab at St. Rose Dominican Hospital. After five years there, he retired for good and moved to Mesquite, Nevada.

Terry enjoyed life and remained active well into his late eighties. He lit up every room he walked into, either with a joke or a humorous story. He always knew what to say to make someone smile.

He taught all his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren the “joys of life!” He coached his boys in PONY League Baseball in Bountiful, and in 1968 and 1969 was part of the PONY League State Champs for Utah.

Terry enjoyed so many hobbies and activities that he shared and passed down, including fishing, golfing, hunting, skating, building and flying RC Airplanes, and model trains. He also loved listening to and playing music. He played banjo, piano and organ, usually with his children or grandchildren.

Terry never ceased being a constant support for those he cared about. He gave generously, lived freely, sacrificed greatly, and loved deeply!

He was truly one of a kind, a real Hole in One! He will be missed by all that knew and loved him. There are so many “Terry-isms.” I offer this one, “‘If you can’t afford to crash ‘em’, then don’t build em’ and fly em.’”

Terry is survived by his brother, James “Jim” (Rose “Midge”) Fry, SLC, UT; four sons, Ted Fry, Washington Terrace, Mike Fry, South Ogden, Steve Fry, Los Angeles, CA; Larry “Poco” Fry, SLC, Utah; one daughter, Chris Thompson, SLC, Utah; and by his seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Alberta and Orrin; brothers, William “Bill” and Robert “Bob”; sisters, Barbara Caputo and Carol Thomas, and by his former wife, Donna.

The family will hold private military services in his honor and, following his wishes, Terry will be cremated.

The family thanks the staff of Intermountain Home Care and Intermountain Hospice for their kind and thoughtful services.