Eric V. Fries

Eric vanBuskirk Fries, 58, of Old Lyme, passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 1, 2012 at Yale New Haven Hospital from complications of an Interstitial Lung Disease. He was born on April 16, 1953 in Honolulu, Hawaii, the only child of the late Navy Captain (Ret.) William Don Fries and Elizabeth Ann Beddow Fries. During his youth, Eric lived in Naples, Italy, Newport, RI, Whidbey Island, WA, Jacksonville and Sanford, FL, and in Northern Virginia where he formed life-long friendships and many happy memories. Eric met his future wife, Jennifer Crittenden Knight, while they were employed at Virginia Electric and Power Company (VEPCO), Richmond, Virginia. On September 29, 1979, Eric and Jennifer were married at First Presbyterian Church, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Fifteen years later, Eric became the proud father to his beloved son, Matthew Thornton Fries. Eric earned a B.S. in Structural Design and Construction Technology from Penn State University, an M.S. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Virginia (Tau Beta Pi), and an Executive M.S. in Management from The Hartford Graduate Center (RPI). In addition to VEPCO, Eric worked for Northeast Utilities, Dominion Resources, was self-employed as Principal, Equinox Consulting, LLC, and was currently a Safety Culture Program Manager at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Rockville, MD. Designated a Professional Engineer, Eric’s career in commercial nuclear, electric transmission, and petroleum industries included engineering, operations, plant startup, outage management, project engineering and management, process improvement, organization culture assessment, Safety Conscious Work Environment, and Employee Concerns Program. As a member of the American Nuclear Society, Eric was a key speaker on organizational safety culture at several quarterly seminars. Eric was civic-minded and served on the Town of Old Lyme Zoning Commission for 15 years, including tenure as its chairman. Since 1998, Eric, Jennifer, and Matt spent many wonderful summer days sailing in Long Island Sound on their boat, Winds’er Castle, and developed strong friendships with dock mates. Eric’s love for traveling with his family included Alaska and Hawaii, the Caribbean and Europe; the splendor and history of England and Wales were his passion. Nothing made Eric happier than being a father to Matt, instilling values and social responsibilities, mentoring him in the sciences, building electric guitars together, and encouraging and supporting Matt’s journey through Cub and Boy Scouts. Eric was a member of the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme. Mr. Fries was predeceased by his father in law, Navy Captain Richard Knight (Ret.). In addition to his wife and son, Eric is survived by his mother-in-law, Frances Knight of Virginia Beach, VA; his in-laws, Susan and Lewis Cabot of Boston, MA; Linda and Richard Knight, Jr., of Nashville, TN, and several nieces and nephews. Eric is also survived by many relatives in Idaho and Utah. Mr. Fries’ family extends its heartfelt appreciation to the medical staff of MICU-9, Yale New Haven Hospital, for their outstanding care and compassion during Eric’s brief illness. A memorial service is planned at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme on Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 2:00 p.m., followed by a reception in the church social hall.In lieu of flowers, the family suggests considering a memorial donation to the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme ~ Minister’s Discretionary Fund, 2 Ferry Road, Old Lyme, CT 06371, or to a charity of your choice. Please visit www.swanfuneralhomeoldsaybrook.com to leave an online condolence or tribute.