James E. Fry, 88, of Burnet County died May 17, 2017

James E. Fry, longtime automobile dealer and former Burnet City Council member, passed away peacefully May 17, 2017, at the age of 88.

He was a native of Burnet County, born in Bertram to James Arthur and Katherine Hereford Fry. He was president of his graduating class at Bertram High School, attended Texas A&M and Tarleton State College, and graduated from Southwestern University in 1949 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.

After a two-year stint in the Army, serving at Camp Carson, Colorado, and Fort Richardson, Alaska, he was honorably discharged with the rank of corporal.

He married Margaret Singleton in 1952.

James spent most of his life in the automobile business, starting at age 11 pumping gas for his father at Bertram Auto Co. He signed on as a manager in 1949, ran a used car lot in Killeen from 1954-62, and returned to his home county when Fry Motors Inc. moved its headquarters to Burnet in 1963. The dealership sold AMC, Chrysler, Plymouth, and Dodge vehicles. James became company president in 1966. He was active in the National Automobile Dealers Association and served as a director of the Texas Automobile Dealers Association.

In addition to business and family responsibilities, James believed in community service. He is a member of Bertram Lodge 583 A.F. & A.M. Appointed to an unexpired term on the Burnet City Council in 1973, he was elected to his first full term in 1974 and remained on the council until 1986, serving twice as mayor pro tem. Over the decades, he held leadership roles in the Kiwanis Club, the American Cancer Society, the Greater Killeen United Fund, Burnet-Williamson County Opportunities, the Burnet County Savings and Loan Association, chambers of commerce in Bertram and Burnet, the local EMS unit, and the Salvation Army Service Unit committee. When a tornado struck Burnet in 1973, his home was destroyed and Fry Motors sustained significant damage; still, James reached out to help others by serving on the Burnet County Disaster Relief Committee.

He joined the Texas State Guard in 1986, retiring in 2000 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. One memorable duty as a guardsman was providing street security when Pope John Paul II visited San Antonio in 1987.

James was an active and dedicated member of First United Methodist Church, where he sat on the board of trustees, taught Sunday school classes, sang in the choir, and served as lay delegate to the Southwest Texas Conference.

In his limited spare time, James loved to travel. He took his family on trips to the Grand Canyon, the Canadian Rockies, and many other destinations. After his son and daughter were grown, he and Margaret visited a number of countries and made friends around the world. They built a special relationship with three exchange students from Ecuador, who spent time at the Fry home in the 1980s and still consider themselves part of the family.

James was preceded in death by his parents and sister Betty Ruth Bird. He is survived by his wife; brother-in-law and former business partner, Gene Bird; daughter, Dyanne Fry Cortez and son-in-law Javier; son, the Rev. J. Jason Fry and daughter-in-law Joan; Juan Carlos Matamoros, Maria Del Carmen Matamoros, and Carolina Perdomo, all of Ecuador; two grandchildren; and a host of former employees and lifelong friends.

A memorial service is 2 p.m. May 26 at First United Methodist Church, 301 E. Graves in Burnet. Arrangements by Edgar and Jenkins Funeral Home, 109 N. Main St. in Burnet, (512) 756-4444. Go to jenkinsserves.com to offer condolences.