Ronald Alan Fry, 65, of State College, PA, passed away on May 3, 2025.
Ron was a devoted husband, father, brother, uncle and friend. He is survived by his loving wife, Brenda Witt Fry, and their three children: Zachariah Fry of Bellefonte, PA, Elijah Fry of Bradenton, FL, and Lydia Fry of Boulder, CO. He also leaves behind his brother, Tom Fry (Barbara) of Boalsburg, PA; his sister, LouEllen Fry Michel (Tim) of Lutherville, MD; Godchildren, Laura Wagner of Melbourne, FL and Matt Fry of Pittsburgh; and many nieces and nephews across the country, all of whom he loved dearly. He was preceded in death by his parents, Wilford B. Fry and Barbara E. Fry.
Born in Bellefonte, PA in August 1959, Ron was a proud 1977 graduate of State College Area High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Lock Haven University in 1982, where he was a member of Sigma Pi fraternity. He was also a member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in State College, PA.
Married to Brenda on July 30, 1988, Ron’s greatest joy was raising and spending time with his family. He cherished annual trips to Bethany Beach, DE, where he reigned as the undisputed king of mini golf (at least in his mind) and was always the first one to the beach in the morning to snag the best spot. He also loved family ski trips and game nights (Pictionary was not his strong suit), both of which became a cherished tradition with extended family and a source of countless shared memories over the years. A master storyteller, Ron was known to begin tales with his trademark phrase. If you heard those words, you knew you were in for laughter, and probably some tears from Ron as he retold it.
A lifelong sports fan, Ron enjoyed tailgating with family and friends at Penn State Football games. As a teenager, he worked as a ticket taker at Beaver Stadium and later became a proud season ticket holder, never missing a chance to cheer on the Nittany Lions. He loved watching the Pirates and Penn State Wrestling with his brother Tom and never missed a Steelers game, for better or worse. Attending sporting events with his family was always a source of great joy—and often the origin of some of his best stories.
Ron’s passion for sports carried over to his children, and he cherished every opportunity to coach them in baseball, Assembly of God youth football, and Centre Region soccer. He truly enjoyed mentoring young athletes and spending quality time with his kids on the field.
Ron spent his career in service to others, working in the field of mental health and addiction recovery. In August 2024 he retired from Cove Forge Behavioral Health (Acadia Healthcare) in Williamsburg, PA. Ron enjoyed the job but truly valued his Admissions team and the leadership. He loved making the ‘morning meetings’ each day, a fun meeting with a don’t take yourself too seriously attitude. He loved to hear everyone’s personal stories and considered everyone at Acadia his ‘work family.’ Despite retirement, he kept in touch with many throughout the company!
Ron approached life with kindness, and a fierce sense of humor (a trait he undoubtedly inherited from his mother, among others.) He will be remembered for his dedication to his family, and the way he made everyone feel like they were a friend.
A private celebration of Ron’s life will be held at Koch Funeral Home on Wednesday, May 14.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Ron’s honor to State College Little League, P.O. Box 244, Lemont, Pennsylvania 16851.