Jimmy Fry, Sr. passed away peacefully on May 13, 2024.
Born in Trenton, NJ in 1942 he was a lifelong Lambertville, NJ resident. Jimmy was a skilled tree surgeon with Pinnacle and McConnell Tree Services before starting his own “Fry’s Tree Service” business with his brother, Bobby. Jimmy retired from full-time employment from West Amwell School where he worked in maintenance and was a beloved school bus driver who frequently taught all “his little kids” to sing the words to “Achy Breaky Heart.”
Born to the late William H. “Bill” Fry and Florence Elizabeth “Betty” Fry, he was pre-deceased by sister Lucy “Honey” Voorhees, brother William “Butch” Fry, and sister Kim Fry. Jimmy is survived by sister Margaret “Peggy” Leach, brother Robert “Bobby” Fry, son James Fry, Jr. and his wife Christine Pierman-Fry, step-son Russell Smith, grandsons Nicholas and Matthew Fry, step-grandsons Robbie and Danny Rose, and several very close nieces and nephews.
Jimmy’s passion was entertaining. Quick with one-liners and jokes, Jimmy was notorious for his boyish humor and sayings. But his crown jewel achievement was his passion for playing guitar and singing country & oldies music in The Reel to Real Country Band. He beamed with pride that his band celebrated its 40th Anniversary in 2023 and is still going strong today. Starting his musical journey in 1961, he performed with local and regional talent up until his body wouldn’t let him perform anymore in April 2024. Seeing his son and grandsons Nick and Matt Fry carry the family legacy of music in their band “The Fry Boys” kept him smiling from ear-to-ear, while continuously bragging about their talents to everyone he encountered.
Funeral services will be held on Monday, May 20th at 11 am at the First Presbyterian Church of Lambertville, 13 N. Union Street, Lambertville, NJ 08530.
Calling hours will be held at the First Presbyterian Church of Lambertville, 13 N. Union Street, Lambertville, NJ 08530 on Sunday, May 19th from 6pm to 8pm and on Monday morning from 10 am until the start of services.
In lieu of flowers donations in Jimmy’s memory may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Lambertville, where Jimmy enjoyed singing gospels with the choir, despite saying, “I’ll see ya in church if the windows are clean. And ya know it.”
Arrangements are under of the direction of the Van Horn-McDonough Funeral Home, Lambertville, NJ 08530.
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