100 years of ‘good, wonderful luck’

Whether or not there may be a withheld secret to living 100 years, Richard “Dick” Fry says it’s all just up to dumb luck.

Dick will be turning 100 years old Sunday, with most of his life spent on the Palouse. Dick said he’s lived a full life — he served in WWII, traveled the world and worked as a journalist in the height of the industry. His son, James Fry, will be holding a birthday party from 1-3 p.m. Sunday at the Brelsford Visitor Center. James kidded about not bringing gifts, as his father has been blessed with so many birthdays.

Born on Feb. 12, 1923, in Oroville, Calif., Dick joked he was born on a dark and stormy night. He’s the youngest of four children who were all a decade or more older than him.

“My mom was less than two months short of her 40th birthday, so I was kind of a surprise,” Dick said. “But I was just so blessed with and not only having great parents, but with the three older ones. I was spoiled rotten.”

Dick graduated from Oroville High School in 1940, and attended San Jose State until he was drafted into World War II in 1943.

He entered the Army Air Corp, and was stationed in Luliang, China, as an air traffic controller at the China Burma India Theater. The theater, also known as the Forgotten Theater, was a U.S. military designation during World War II, where aircrafts commonly transported gasoline and supplies. He said an air traffic controller was responsible for directing aircrafts taking off and landing.

Dick’s favorite part about serving in China was the weather — no humidity and it snowed on his birthday once. He said he never saw a chicken in his time spent in China, yet there were always fresh eggs.

“All these people were in the breakfast line and you’d order how you’d like your eggs,” he said. “You’d order them hard fried, soft fried and medium fried. Once they found out my name was Fry, they never let it down. They picked that up in a hurry, and called me how they took their eggs.”

Spending a little over three years stationed in China, Dick was discharged in 1946 at the rank of sergeant. He went back to San Jose State and finished his studies in journalism.

“All of these things were just plain wonderful luck,” Dick said. “Who put me in the air corps instead of the infantry or the artillery? Just all along the line, just good, wonderful luck.”

He met his first wife, Beatrice Dooley, in 1947 after he went back to attend college. He said she was always beautiful all around; she had red hair, freckles and a great personality. Beatrice served in the Marine Corps from 1944-46, and was discharged as the rank of corporal.

“She had always contended that she outranked me,” Dick said. “She was always so talented, she graduated with honors while I was a routine C+ student. She was a talented writer and such an intelligent person.”

They both graduated in 1947 with a bachelor’s in journalism, and got married a year after in 1948.

He began working as a reporter at the United Press International in 1947. He moved to Pullman in 1952 when he became the editor for the Washington State University alumni magazine, Powwow. Later he went on to work as the WSU sports information director from 1957-70 and the manager for the WSU News Bureau from 1970-85.

Dick and Beatrice proudly raised three children in Pullman. They were married until Beatrice passed away in 1971 from cancer.

He remarried to Marilyn Johnson in 1977, who welcomed him into her family of six children. They were married for 44 years until she passed away in October 2021.

“Marilyn and I traveled the world together. We went back to China, we went to Australia and spent a lot of time in Britain,” Dick said. “She was just a wonderful, wonderful companion and love.”

Writing is Dick’s passion, he said he’s always gotten a kick out of it and “if you have fun, you keep doing it.” Dick published his first book in 1989, “The Crimson and the Gray: 100 Years with the WSU Cougars,” and is working on a few more. Currently, he’s working on “101 Refried Cougar Tales,” as well as “World War II History Around the World, 1112 Days by Trains and Planes.”

Dick is a Palouse celebrity, his son joked. In 2009, Dick was named an honorary WSU Cougar, and in 2017 he was inducted into the WSU Sports Writers Hall of Fame and the Pullman Walk of Fame.

“I’m just so grateful for the life I’ve had,” Dick said. “I had such a wonderful family that took care of me in so many different ways and was blessed with dumb luck that kept me around for so long.”

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com or on Twitter @Emily_A_Pearce.