Howard Young Fry, age 77, passed away peacefully and into the presence of his Lord and Savior on August 3, 2026.
Howard was born in New Orleans, Louisiana – the son of Merle Douthit Fry and Edwin Saunders Fry. He lived his early years in New Orleans and later moved with his mother to Huntsville in 1966. It was in Huntsville that he met and then in 1971 married his beloved wife, Sara Phillips Fry. Howard and Sara raised 2 devoted and loving daughters, Anna Smith and Kristey Fry.
Howard graduated from Huntsville High in 1967 and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in 1971. He was a gifted mathematician and computer scientist. Howard was cared for deeply by all those he worked with and appreciated for his inclusive attitude toward all, the guidance he freely shared, his passion for an honest work ethic and his earnest attention to detail. His skills and intellect were manifested in his career development and accomplishments, transitioning from:
· Radio Teletypewriter Team Chief with US Army Reserve in 1971-1972 to
· Engineering Mathematician with Northrop Services, Inc. from 1972-1978 to
· Computer Scientist with Computer Sciences Corp. from 1979-1985 to
· System Analyst with SPARTA, Inc. from 1986-1996 to
· System Engineer with TRW from 1996-2002 and finally to
· System Engineer Manager with Northrop Grumman from 2003-2015.
Howard was a beloved son, husband, father, grandfather, brother-in-law, cousin and friend. He was a loving and committed partner to Jan Wardlaw over the last several years of his life.
Howard’s servant heart shown in his involvement with the church where he served as a Stephen Minister. He served many other organizations that epitomized his talent for helping others in need of a compassionate presence. Howard enjoyed fishing, Alabama football, the arts, and had an easy camaraderie with close friends. His curiosity towards Nature was forever present as he sought to understand the complexities of this Life in all forms.
Howard was preceded in death by his parents, Edwin Saunders Fry and Merle Douthit Fry; his wife, Sara Phillips Fry; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Thomas and Debi Phillips.
He is survived by daughter and son-in-law, Anna and Brian Smith of Wilmington, NC; daughter, Kristey Fry, Huntsville; grandson, Rowan Smith of Wilmington, NC; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Ralph and Kathy Phillips of Birmingham; nephew, Bradley (Maida Finch) Phillips of Salisbury, MD.
A Celebration of Life service, officiated by Dr. Bill Crosby, will be held Wednesday, August 12 at 1:00 pm in the Wesley Worship Center at Huntsville First United Methodist Church (120 Greene Street, Huntsville AL 35801).
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Huntsville First United Methodist Church or The Wounded Warrior Project, both of which were special to Howard.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
