Richard D. Fry, 58, Olathe, passed away Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, at Olathe Medical Center. He was the sixth of seven children born to Forest and Ellen (Runnels) Fry. He grew up in Iola, graduating from Iola High School in 1977. He then went on to Pittsburg State University where he earned his B.S. in accounting and finance in 1981.
Richard began his working life as an accountant before returning to college to earn his Juris Doctorate degree in 1988 and then his M.B.A. in 1989, both from the University of Kansas. He served as a legislative intern to Bob Talkington, Kansas Senate President (1988) and has been a civil litigation attorney for 20-plus years.
Richard served as general counsel for Patriot Coalition (www.PatriotCoalition.org), the Citizens Constitution Caucus and Revitalize the Second Amendment. He has consulted and advised members of Congress, their staff and state legislators, as well as testified before multiple state legislative committees, conducted briefings for state legislators and members of Congress, and spoken at press conferences and in briefings on Capitol Hill. Richard was elected as Kansas delegate to the Continental Congress (2009). Richard was the founder of November Patriots, a Kansas citizen activist/voter awareness group. He hosted the Kansas State Sovereignty Rally several years and was also co-founder of DefendNotAmend. He was proud to have judged student participants on several occasions at the Youth Education Scholarship Constitution Bee held at K-State each February.
Richard was united to marriage to Shirley Henderson on July 1, 1995, at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Overland Park. This union was blessed with one son, Dean Martin Douglas Fry. They made their home in Lenexa before moving to Olathe. Richard was a member of the Church of the Ascension, Overland Park; C.E.R.T. (Community Emergency Response Team) and served on their board; site council for the Olathe School District; and a Committee Member and Merit Badge Counselor with Boy Scout Troop No. 201 at Hillcrest Christian Church, Overland Park. He always said his proudest accomplishment was just being Dean’s Dad, everything else was just trivial!
Richard was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Wade Fry.
He is survived by his wife, Shirley and son, Dean, of the home; one sister, Judy Haigler and husband Ron, Rose Hill; four brothers, Wayne Fry and wife Brenda, El Dorado, Ron Fry, Iola, Danny Fry, Wichita, and Mark Fry, Wichita; father- and mother-in-law, Martin and Mary Henderson, Elsmore; and sister-in-law, Mary Fry, Lansing.
A 5 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will follow visitation from 4 to 5 o’clock today at Church of the Ascension, 9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park. A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the First Christian Church, Iola. Inurnment will follow in the Highland Cemetery, Iola.
The family will greet friends for a celebration of Richard’s life following the inurnment at Miller’s on Madison, 415 W. Madison Ave., Iola. Memorial contributions may be made to the Dean Fry Education Fund or Boy Scout Troop No. 201, Overland Park, or to Youth Education Scholarship Constitution Bee. Condolences may be left at www.feuerbornfuneral.com.
More writings and videos of Richard’s work and continued legacy can be found at his website at http://www.rdfry.com/.
Richard Fry
