Sarah Fry

Fry, Sarah L. (nee Lewis), passed away at her home on March 2 surrounded by family -- just as she wanted. Sarah (AKA Sissy) was born in Chicago in 1923, the daughter of Marie B. Lewis (nee Barker) and Randolph W. Lewis. She was raised in West Virginia before moving to Cincinnati as a teenager where her grandmother owned and operated a boarding house on Walnut Street. Sarahs first paying job after graduating high school was a telephone operator where she earned $12 per week. No stranger to hard work, Sarah held several interesting jobs throughout her life including cosmetic counter sales, Avon sales, private duty care giver, waitress, and bartender. As young adults, Sarah and her two sisters lived in a multigenerational house with their parents and grandparents as well as their husbands and children. Sarah, or Sissy as she was known by this time, stayed home as the primary caregiver for the children and her aging grandparents, Mary and Harry Noll. Sarah and her sisters used to laugh because the neighbors were constantly trying to figure out which husband and which children belonged to which sister. Sarah later worked as assistant head cook at Turpin High School. She was loved by students, co-workers and faculty at both Anderson and Turpin High Schools. In 1989 Sarah retired from the school district to care for her mother until her death in 1992. Sarah relished her role as grandmother, and as if that wasn't enough, she poured untold hours into serving as president of her homeowner association for the next 18 years until 2012. A serious automobile accident in 2002 stopped Sarah from driving, but nothing more. She became a dedicated participant in pulmonary rehab at Anderson Mercy Hospital where she made and nurtured lasting friendships with fellow patients and staff members. In typical fashion, Sarah took a difficult situation and made the best of it it became her mission to stay connected to friends and family and she is well known for the many greeting cards and hand written notes she sent on a routine basis. Sarah is survived by her four children: Michael Lewis, Kevin Fry, Diana Marie (Michael) Moore, and Randy (Robin) Fry; and a host of loving grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, extended family, and many dear friends. Sarah enjoyed an especially strong bond with her grandsons Nick and Sam Moore, who served as devoted caregivers in recent years. She was preceded in death by her dearly loved younger sisters, Mary P. Waters and Vivian A. Eberhardt, and an older brother, Raymond Lewis, all of whom surely welcomed her to heaven with a deck of cards and an ice cold beer. Sarah believed in the healing power of the right attitude and laughter, and until the end, she was telling glorious tales and making others laugh. Always optimistic and unbelievably strong, her words and actions inspired those around her to see the silver lining. We are saddened to have lost this precious gem, but her spirit will strengthen us as we learn to live in a world without the last of the illustrious (to our family, anyway!) Lewis Girls. Family and friends are invited to attend a celebration of Sarahs exceptional life at Emmanuel United Methodist Church, 4312 Amelia-Olive Branch Rd, Batavia, OH 45103 at 11:00 am on Saturday April 30th Sarahs 93rd birthday. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate memorial donations to the Anderson Mercy Cardio-Pulmonary Rehab Scholarship Fund c/o Mercy Health Foundation 7500 State Rd Cincinnati, OH 45255. Condolences may be left on the website www.tpwhite.com.