HADLEY — Clarence H. Fry, 73, of 151 Loper Road, Hadley (Perry Township), passed away at 10:50 a.m. Thursday, May 8, 2008, in the Critical Care Unit of UPMC-Presbyterian, Pittsburgh, following complications from surgery.

He was born in Salem Township April 22, 1935, a son of the late Austin and Daisy Capell Fry. On April 24, 1981, he married the former Joyce McCracken Wilson, who survives.

He had retired from Hodge Foundry, Greenville, after 45 years of service, where he had been a molder, supervisor and an inspector. Following his retirement he enjoyed delivering flowers for Jerome’s Florist of Greenville with his buddies Ken Dunn and Bill Burt. He had served in the U.S. Marine Reserves for six years.

He was a member of Clarks Mills United Methodist Church, where he had served as chairperson of the Trustees and the Church Administrative Council.

He was a member of the Commodore Perry Lions Club, where he had served two terms as president. He was proud to have been honored as a Melvin Jones Fellow in 2006 and as a Lions of Pennsylvania Fellow in 2007. He was a member of Eureka Masonic Lodge 290 of Greenville; the Valley of the New Castle Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, where he had sang in the Consistory choir; a board member of Sheakleyville Cemetery and had served as its treasurer; a member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation; Greenville Elks Lodge 145, where he enjoyed bowling Duck Pins; and a social member of Conneaut Lake Station 3 Volunteer Fire Department.

At the age of 60 he, along with his son, George, built the home that he and his wife have lived in for the past 11 years. According to his “sons,” Joe and George, “he was one tough guy,” and they had enjoyed many hunting trips together hunting for elk, moose and bear in Montana, Wyoming and Canada. His favorite place to hunt was at the cabin in West Virginia with “the guys.” He and his wife had traveled to many states and Canada, with the favorite being Hawaii and an Alaskan cruise. He loved baking, but more than that, enjoyed sharing the goodies with his friends and family. The favorite requests were most often for his apple dumplings. He enjoyed feeding the birds and watching them in his back yard. He and his wife spent many enjoyable and memorable times at the cottage in Senecaville, Ohio, with Joe and Sue, Elysa, Seth and Amy. He loved his Farmall tractor and enjoyed helping with the mowing at Sheakleyville Cemetery. His dogs, Moosie and Maggie, were his constant companions for the last four years and they followed his every step.

Clarence was a “good man” and was very much loved by his family and friends. No one will ever be able to take his place. He was proud of learning to play the organ at the age of 70 and greatly enjoyed the friends that he had made at Valley Organ.

His greatest joys in life were being able to help others. He was a “take-charge type of guy.”

In addition to his wife of 27 years, he is survived by a daughter, Julianne Fry of Greenville; four sons, Daniel Fry of Greenville, David Fry and his wife, Kathie, of Greenville, Joseph Wilson and his wife, Sue, of New Concord, Ohio, and George Wilson and his wife, Janet, of Sheakleyville; two sisters, Sadie McGowan of Clarks Mills and Evangeline Cook of Greenville; a brother, Leo Fry and his wife, Shirley, of Hadley; and 12 grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; five brothers, Vernon Fry, Floyd Fry, Forrest Fry, Austin Fry Jr. and George Fry; a sister, Pearl Naomi Grossman; and a son, Gary Wilson.

Friends may call at Robert L. Snyder Funeral Home Ltd., 3223 Perry Highway, Sheakleyville, on Sunday from 2 to 9 p.m. The Commodore Perry Lions Club will conduct a Necrology service Sunday at 9 p.m.

Funeral service will be Monday at 11 a.m. at the funeral home, with the Rev. Jay Sterling, pastor of Clarks Mills United Methodist Church, and the Rev. Steve Lamb, pastor of Sheakleyville United Methodist Church, officiating.

The interment and committal service will follow in Sheakleyville Cemetery.

Condolences may be posted online at www.rlsfh.com.