James "Jimmy" Fries

October 5, 2023, James “Jimmy” Donald Fries, 78, of East Hampton, passed away
peacefully at Midstate Medical Center in Meriden with his beloved wife Sandra (Dorau)
at his side.

He was born in Meriden, Connecticut, to Donald and Lorraine (Harriott) Fries on June
19, 1945. He attended Lyman Hall High School (Class of 1965), where as a member of
the FFA he developed a lifelong love for animals and gardening.

Early in life, Jimmy met Sandra “Sandy”, his best friend and dance partner for life. They
have been married for over 55 years.

Jimmy proudly served his country in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. During his
service in Vietnam, Jimmy was wounded and earned a Purple Heart, along with multiple
other service awards. Upon his return he was employed by the Southington Police
Department. After relocating to East Hampton in 1972 he worked at International Silver,
Sikorsky and Fenn Manufacturing.

Jimmy was a longtime member of Haddam Neck Covenant Church and for years he
could be found cooking chicken at the fair for their annual fundraiser.

Jimmy is survived and missed by his loving wife of 55 years, Sandy, and his children,
Jamie Dupre and her husband Normand “Chip” of SC, Shane Fries of East Hampton,
Jessica Fries and her partner William Clark of Westbrook. Forever cherished and
remembered by his five grandchildren, Sara Moorehouse, Claire Dupre, Christa Dupre,
Colleen Dupre, Valen Clark, and his one great granddaughter Madison Moorehouse.                                                                                                                                                                            His memory lives on with his brother Fred Fries of FL, his loving niece, Melanie Seeger, and
his brother in law Richard Dorau. Jimmy was predeceased by his father Donald, his
mother Lorraine, and his sister Dorren Sward.

Jimmy loved to travel with his family and friends. He was a Disney fanatic and created
many memories there over the years. He loved the outdoors and enjoyed working in his
gardens, snapper blue fishing, catching snakes, swimming with his grandkids, or just
catching a few rays. A member of the Connecticut Herpetology Society, he was the
resident snake expert, and frequently called on to identify or wrangle many snakes. He
enjoyed watching football and was an avid New York Giants fan. Jimmy could always be
found night or day wearing his sunglasses and his signature Vietnam Veteran hat.

Jimmy had an unquenchable thirst for the latest technology. It was this love of technology
and cameras that made him the unofficial family historian. He was always capturing
special moments, rarely in the camera himself, he created a library of family memories
that will always be cherished.

Jimmy was never scared to take on new opportunities and did everything with integrity.
He had very strong values and was well liked by everyone, mostly due to his even
temperament and welcoming personality. He always made time to help everyone.

Jimmy will forever be remembered for adding life to the party. He loved to dance in the
kitchen or on the dance floor. He frequently played the harmonica for all that would
listen. He was a great storyteller, his enthusiasm and embellishments made the stories all
the better. He loved his family with everything he had and while he may not have always
showed it, we always felt it.

We invite you to make a donation to the East Hampton Volunteer Food Bank or Haddam
Neck Covenant Church in his honor, in place of sending flowers.

To honor Jimmy’s memory, we are holding a Memorial Service at 11:00 am on October
21, 2023 at Haddam Neck Covenant Church. We invite anyone who knew him to attend
and remember his wonderful life.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of James "Jimmy" Fries, please visit our floral store.