Melvin L. Fry of Mathews, Va., known to everyone as Pete, passed away on June 30, 2013. He was 80 years old.

Pete was a native of Jeffersonville, Ind., and graduated from Jeffersonville High School in 1952. He was an Army veteran, and he attended Salem College in West Virginia on the GI Bill.

He moved to Mathews in 1960 to teach and coach at Mathews High School. He then served as principal of Lee-Jackson Elementary School before becoming principal at Thomas Hunter Middle School in 1969. He served in that position until his retirement in 1991.

Pete was a volunteer fireman in Mathews for 32 years; later named an honorary member. He was a past president of the Mathews Lions Club and past district secretary. He was active in the Boy Scouts and received the Silver Beaver Award in 1989. Pete was a member of the Winnebago-Itasca Travelers and locally belonged to the Peninsula Winnies RV Club. He was also a member of Central United Methodist Church.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Marcia; his two sons, Mike (Vanessa) and Mark (Kendall); six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. His oldest son, Mel, preceded him in death.

A funeral service was held on Wednesday, July 3, 2013, at 11 a.m. in Foster-Faulkner Funeral Home, Mathews, with burial in H.C. Smither Cemetery, Hudgins, Va. Family received friends one hour prior to the service. A reception followed the service at Central United Methodist Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Pete’s memory to the Mathews Volunteer Fire Dept., P.O. Box 1130, Mathews, Va. 23109 or to the charity of one’s choice.