Minister of Kindness
March 19, 1979 – December 23, 2020
Travis James Fry
Travis James Fry was fearfully and wonderfully made by the author of life, God himself, and was presented to the world on March 19,1979. His design was special and unique because God pressed His own character of kindness into the heart of Travis. It was this light of kindness that drew people to him and caused him to be a caring giver to others. His immediate family live in the northwest and he is the youngest of three brothers, Jason the oldest and wife Sasha, Bryan and partner Molly. Mother-Karen and Gene Halsey with step-brothers Garret, Jordan and stepsister Erika. Father-Eric and Jennifer Fry with stepsister Melissa and husband Jonathan. He was loved by his entire family and especially by his nieces; Jorja and Peyton who said, “Uncle Travi, you have always been our favorite uncle.”
Travis was an adventurous explorer. He was drawn to hiking and kayaking in the Pacific Northwest as well as Sedona Arizona and the Grand Canyon area. His exploration also included music. He was often heard creating guitar rifts of music layered and looped on top of each other. He worked with leather and created custom wrist bands, rings and jewelry out of tiny gears, found objects, snaps and leather embossing. He was often seen running the Skykomish river, dodging rocks while keeping time with the current. You might have even shared a story or two as he served drinks across several resort bars. He studied as a masseuse, knew all the muscles in the body and would nonchalantly come up behind you at a family gathering and begin kneading your shoulders with his magic fingers and hands.
Travis received his first guitar in junior high. He quickly became glued to it and from there his life-long body of music flowed. Most kids in school carried books, but Travis was hardly seen without his guitar. His music was rolling and dreamy, looped and mixed with peddles and layering. He performed the star-spangled banner for his entire high school which included playing a portion of the score from behind his head like Jimmy Hendrix had done at Woodstock. Not only did he play music, he collected an assortment of percussion instruments. Travis saw the value and creative opportunity in all instruments. The high-water mark of his collection was a 1924 silent movie theatre pipe organ that was given to him while he was contract painting for a customer in Issaquah WA.
His entrepreneurial spirit moved him out of bartending and into residential contracting for his own company, “Level Up”. His jobs included: tv mounts, sink repair, light switch and fixture replacement, tiling, floor installation, painting and more. He bought and fully equipped a sprinter van with all the DeWalt tools ever produced. Most of his jobs came from an online lead source but the real testimony of his work and customer satisfaction came after the first job was done and the customer contracted directly with him for more work.
With immediate family gathered around him, Travis slipped away into the arms of Jesus on December 23. He will be missed – but is not missing from us. Our memories, his influence and gift of kindness will never leave us. Travis will be just a paddle stroke away; guitar chord away; a hiking step away from hugging and holding us tight. Absent from us now, but we stand in the firm persuasion that we will see him and rejoice with him again in heaven as God’s Minister of Kindness.
Lastly – I remember the joy on his face of new adventures and being free to step into the unknown. And, with each step I believe these are the words and chorus God showered on him which he felt and heard. “You shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace, the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you, there’ll be shouts of joy and all the trees of the fields will clap, will clap their hands. And all the trees of the fields will clap their hands, trees of the fields will clap their hands, trees of the fields will clap their hands, as you go out with joy!” Isaiah 55:12 (song edit)
So – whenever you go out and see the mountains and hills singing, trees clapping and feel a rush of joy, know that our Travis James, God’s Minister of Kindness, is very, very near by. – With great love, Mom, Dad and family
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