William Fryer

Dr. William Bill Neal Fryer, 89, died Monday, May 18, 2009 in Abilene, Texas. His funeral service with Chris McCurly of Oldham Lane Church of Christ officiating, will be held at 1:30 PM on Thursday, May 21, 2009 in the Elmwood Funeral Home Chapel, 5750 HWY 277 South. Entombment will follow in Elmwood Memorial Park, Mausoleum II where Bill will be placed next to his wife. Visitation is from 5:30 to 7:00 PM on Wednesday at the funeral home.

Bill was born on March 10, 1920 in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio to Roy Charles Fryer and Alice Minerva Carson. He finished high school in 1937 in Anderson Township OH, outside Cincinnati. He attended evening college and worked at Sears Roebuck. There he met his future bride, Dorothy Elizabeth McClain. While working at Sears and dating Dorothy, he was called into the military October 9, 1941, and was placed in the Army Air Corps. After basic he signed up for officer candidate school. Bill received his 2nd Lieutenants commission May 11, 1942 in Miami Beach, Florida, and he and Dorothy were married that evening.

While in the Army Air Corps, Bill proudly commanded a squadron of all African American soldiers. This was before the military was integrated. Bill treated everyone with dignity and respect and abhorred any type of prejudice. In March 1946 he was discharged after having attained the rank of Captain.

After the military, Bill and Dorothy moved to Searcy, Arkansas where he earned a BA degree from Harding College. Upon graduating in 1948, they moved to Brooklyn, New York for eight years where he started and was the first minister of the Brooklyn Church of Christ. He also attended and graduated from Columbia University with a Masters degree. In addition, he fulfilled all the requirements for a Doctorate in Education except for the dissertation. He completed his dissertation and earned his Ed.D degree in 1965 from Columbia University. During the eight years they were in Brooklyn, they adopted their two daughters, Bonnie and Debra. Bill said that some of his very best remembrances are of spending time with his two girls.

Bill and Dorothy and their two young daughters moved to Abilene in 1956. Bill taught at Abilene Christian College. He was Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of Counseling and Testing. He also taught Bible and preached. In 1968 Bill went to work at Abilene State School as Chief of Psychological Services and retired in 1985. In addition to supervising the Staff Psychologists, he wrote grants that started the Foster Grandparents program and Orthotics program. After retirement he did volunteer work at Abilene State School, Ben Richey Boys Ranch, the Church of Christ, Meals on Wheels, and Prison Ministry. Bill was a member of Oldham Lane Church of Christ. He loved the Lord with all his heart, which was evident in the way he lived his life and served others.

Bill was a member of New York Academy of Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was a Licensed Psychologist and a member of the Greater Abilene Kiwanis Club where he served as President and was presented the Dr. Lowell G. Perry Award in 1988. He was a member of the American Psychological Association and the Abilene Psychological Association. He was also a member of the Abilene Writers Guild and served as its President for two years. He also served as President of the Abilene Mental Health Association. He was an avid Ham Radio operator and ran phone patches to families of missionaries all over the world.

Bill served his fellow man in so many ways. Anyone who knew Dr. Bill Fryer would agree that the world is a better place because he lived.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, his brother John Carson Fryer of Virginia in 1998, his wife Dorothy on January 25, 2005 and his son-in-law, David Walter Ratliff in 1989.
PHe is survived by his sister Allyn Dawn Colbert of Canton, Ohio; niece, Gaylen Colbert; daughters, Bonnie Jean Ratliff of Abilene and Debra Lynn Glover and her husband Michael of Temple; grandsons, David Ratliff and wife Tamara, Sam Ward, Jr. and William Travis Ward and wife Nicole; granddaughter Tami Elizabeth Ratliff, and nine great grandchildren. Bil

Visitation

Elmwood Funeral Home
5750 HWY 277 South
Abilene, TX  79606
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
5:30 to 7:00 PM

Service

Chapel Service

Elmwood Funeral Home Chapel
5750 HWY 277 South
Abilene, TX  79606
Thursday, May 21, 2009
1:30 PM

Cemetery

Elmwood Memorial Park
5750 HWY 277 South
Abilene, TX  79606

Memorial Contributions

Abilene State SchoolHav
PO Box 451
Abilene, TX  79604

Meals on Wheels
PO Box 903
Abilene, TX  79604