Larry Lee Frie

Larry was born July 14, 1934 to Forest and Rubye Frie, the third of five children in Brookings, South Dakota. He enjoyed the comradery, friendships, and family life of growing up in a small town with his older siblings Glen and Zerl while being the “big brother” to sisters Judy and Sandy. When he wasn’t helping his father in the auto garage of Frie Motor Company (the family’s Plymouth-Chrysler car dealership), Larry was an accomplished high school athlete for the Brookings Bobcats as captain of the football team and two-time South Dakota state track and field champion. He was president of his senior class and graduated in 1952.

Despite early ambitions of becoming a doctor when he entered the University of South Dakota, Larry eventually decided to leave “doctoring to the doctors” and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business in 1956. He enlisted in the United States Army and proudly served his country as an artillery officer during the Vietnam War, working alongside fellow accomplished officers including Maj. Colin Powell, whom Larry described as very capable in his duties (Maj. Powell eventually became Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and US Secretary of State). After Vietnam, Larry’s military career took him to postings in West Germany, Turkey, and eventually back to the United States where he served at Ft. Bliss, Texas. While at Ft. Bliss, Larry earned a Master of Education degree from Sul Ross State University before transferring to Dallas – Ft. Worth in 1976. He retired from military service in 1984 as a Lt. Colonel in the US Army Reserve.

Larry met the love of his life, Jean Mitchell, in 1983 when they worked for Jefferson Pilot Insurance in Ft. Worth. As co-workers and eventually friends, Larry and Jean discovered the common values they shared for family and close friendships. They married on June 22, 1985, in the presence of Jean’s mother Lilian (affectionately known as “Ma”) and their six sons – Randy, Rick, Rob, John, Tom, and Mike. In business as in love, Larry and Jean were successful partners in their own consulting firm, Frie Financial Group, for twenty-five years. They retired by 2012 to spend many years traveling and doting on their grandchildren. Larry was a proud Veteran, a devoted Catholic, an avid sports fan, and cherished the times he spent with family and friends at many social gatherings.

Along with his lovely bride Jean, Larry is survived by his sister Sandra (Sandy) Smith, 7 children, 2 nieces, 12 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be held from 5-7pm on Friday, July 10, at Bluebonnet Hills Memorial Home in Colleyville, Texas. The Funeral Mass will begin at 11am on Saturday, July 11, at Good Shepherd Catholic Community, also in Colleyville. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Catholic Charities of Fort Worth where Larry and Jean shared a passion for community service. Catholic Charities is a non-profit organization dedicated to ending poverty through holistic, evidence-based solutions.