CLOVIS – Local musician Matthew “Matt” Fry died alone in the early morning hours of March 27th at his Tarply Village home in Clovis, California. Matt was a big surprise to his parents, the late James and Francis Fry, on June 25, 1972. With his parents and his thirteen-year-old brother, James Jr., the Fry’s made a home in the Hoover District of Fresno.
Unlike his brother, who excelled in sports, Matt’s talents lay elsewhere. One day, he picked up his brother's guitar, and Matt found his real passion. There were very few instruments Matt could not play. He stood out in the churches he attended as a part of the worship teams, as well as on the local music stages throughout Fresno in far too many bands to list here.
In the 1990s, Matt and one of his first bands, Aces and Eights, were a mainstay at the Olympic Tavern on Van Ness in downtown Fresno. With his band Rapid Transit & the Full Contact Brass Band, they scored a win in the 1994 Fresno Rock Off. When playing with Randy Deaver & Crossfire in 2006, Matt told a local reporter, “This is fun; there's no pressure. We come out and have a good time." In the last few days, his friends have described him as a phenomenal musician and one of the best Bass guitarists in the Valley.
Matt was a 1990 graduate of Hoover High School and attended Fresno Community College and Fresno State University for a brief time. He worked for American Ambulance before entering the Police Academy at FCC and starting his career in law enforcement. He was hired at the Sanger City Police Department before larger departments came looking. Matt soon transferred to the Visalia Police Department, but he realized that the smaller departments were where he fit best, and he returned to Sanger. Matt left law enforcement to work as a phlebotomist at Kaiser Permanente before starting a career at Pacific Gas and Electric, where he worked until his death.
Matthew is survived by his two sons, Clayton Matthew Fry and Cooper Jaycen Fry. Daughter Anastasiia Elizabeth Fry and brother James Edward Fry Jr. (Melanie); uncle Reverend Alban Taylor Fry (Dorthy) of Carson City, Nv.; and Matt’s ex-wives, Lisa Nicole Steinhauer of Fresno and Sheryl Fry of Alabama.
The family has decided there will be no public services. Instead of flowers, please consider donating to the Marjaree Mason Center in Fresno, California, in memory of Matt’s mother, Francis.
Marjaree Mason Center
255 W. Bullard Avenue
Fresno, CA 93704
