Therese Ann (Fishburn) Fry age 88 passed away peacefully in Downers Grove, IL. Tess will be interred with Virgil at St. Irenaeus Calvary Cemetery in Clinton, Iowa at 10:00 AM on August 26, 2023. A celebration of life will follow at 12:00 PM at 3704 N. 3rd St, Clinton Iowa on Saturday, August 26th, 2023. The Pape Funeral Home is assisting the family. Online condolences may be left at papefh.com
Therese, usually known as Tess, was born on May 31, 1934 and lived her early years in Chicago, Ill. In her middle years, her parents moved to Clinton, IA, where she attended Our Lady of Angels School for a short time before finishing her education in the public schools. Tess graduated as valedictorian of Lyons High School in 1952. Tess enrolled in Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls, Iowa, where she met her future husband Virgil. Between her freshman and sophomore year, they were married on Aug. 22, 1953, at St Irenaeus Catholic Church in Clinton. While at college she worked at a restaurant at the Waterloo airport. During her sophomore year, she had her daughter Judy.
She worked at Rath Packing after Judy was born, and the family then moved to Anita, Iowa, where her son Wayne was born in 1956. In 1957, the family moved to Oak Park, Ill., where her son Paul was born. Tess started to work for Illinois Bell as a junior operator. She quickly rose up the ranks and was soon a supervisor of the white pages phone book in downtown Chicago where more than 100 people were in her department. Tess retired in 1983, and shortly after that she and Virgil moved to Windermere, Fla., where she stayed for the next 27 years. She then moved back to the Chicago area and spent the rest of her life there. While working at Illinois Bell, Tess served as president of the Pilot International Club and attended DePaul University. Tess loved to travel with her family. She was always traveling with her immediate family or her sisters on their exotic road trips. She loved family, travel, fashion, and reading among various other joys.
She is survived by her daughter Judy Treasure and her husband Scott, her granddaughter Kathryn (Kate) Godbout, her husband Jonathan, and great-grandchild Eli along with granddaughter Marissa Corker, and husband Michael Wayne Fry and wife Dianne, her granddaughter Lauren Meadows and her husband William, her great-grandchildren Elliot and Vivianne Meadows. She is also survived by her son Paul, and his wife Cathy, her granddaughter Sarah Bergstrom, husband Reid, great-grandson Adam and grandson Virgil Fry. She is also survived by her sister Jeanie (Fishburn) DeSchriver. Tess had many nieces, nephews, and in-laws she loved dearly. She was preceded in her death by her husband Virgil Fry, parents Mark and Mary Fishburn, her sisters and brothers, Veronica Wagner, Patricia (Patsy) Latham, Mary Fishburn, Rosemary Peck, Blaine Fishburn, and David Fishburn.