Tisha Fry (1977 - 2020)

FRY, LAWSON, WAGLER

Posted By: Pamela Wagler (email)
Date: 7/29/2020 at 20:24:04

The HawkEye
Burlington, Iowa
July 27, 2020

Tisha Fry

On Saturday, July 25, 2020, Tisha Nicole Fry passed away at her home in Shenandoah, Iowa. Tish was born on October 2nd, 1977 in Burlington, Iowa to Ned and Virginia (Ginny) Fry. She married Damian Lawson. They later divorced. She was an awesome single mom to her son, Brayten Wagler, while attending Southeastern Community College and Iowa Wesleyan University. She graduated in 2015 with honors from her teacher education program. She taught in Arizona and Florida, before settling back in Iowa, living across the street from her sister. Family meant everything to Tish.

Tish’s passions were her son, her friends, her rocks, and sprint cars. Family vacations growing up were either in Estes Park or at a sprint car racetrack. Tish’s mom, Ginny, passed along her love of mountains and babbling brooks to Tish, so she moved to Colorado shortly after high school graduation. While living there, she’d often drive around to mining sites to dig through their old tailings to look for cool rocks. Tish also lived in Phoenix with Brayten for a few years; they loved the desert and sun. When she could, she would camp out with her family to attend the Knoxville Nationals, the greatest sprint car race in the world. Sprint car racing was in her blood. Most recently, during the break from school due to Covid-19, Tish and Bray had Nerf gun and silly string wars and camped out in their backyard.

Tish loved teaching kids. For over 20 years, she coached gymnastics in Burlington, in Colorado, and in Iowa City. Once she graduated from college, she moved to Phoenix to teach elementary students. She later moved to Florida for a bit to work in a school there. Her current position was with Sidney Elementary as a 2nd grade teacher.

Tish was preceded in death by her mother, Ginny. She is survived by her son, Brayten, her father and stepmother, Ned Fry and Connie Tansey Fry of Mediapolis, her sister, Wendy Fry of Shenandoah, her niece, Niamh Palmer, her many aunts and uncles and cousins, the Village, and her dearest friends. According to the family’s wishes, cremation will be accorded, and a celebration of life will be held at a later date due to Covid-19. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in c/o F&M Bank for her son’s education. Tish was larger than life. She’ll be dearly missed.

Lunning Chapel is in charge of arrangements.