It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Leroy Fryman, 89, on January 18, 2024 at Baptist Health Hospital in Lexington, KY. He was born in Nicholas County, KY on November 3, 1934 to the late Robert and Mamie Feeback Fryman.

He is survived by a daughter Carol (Steve) Sampson and a grandson Kyle Sampson.

In addition to his parents, Leroy was preceded in death by his wife of 59 years Alma Hicks Fryman, his son Dennis, his sister Ruth Groves and brother Earl Fryman.

His father passed when Leroy was a young child and he went to work as a farmer and doing odd jobs to support his mother, younger brother and sister. He worked as a dairy and tobacco tenant farmer for many years. In search of a better life, he and Alma moved their family to Lawrenceburg. He worked as a tree trimmer and was skilled at climbing to the top of some of the tallest trees in town. On any given afternoon after work and school you could find the whole family working in someone's yard. One of his happiest days was when he was offered a job at the City of Lawrenceburg. He was so proud of the fact that for the first time in his life he had a steady paycheck, health insurance for his family and a pension. His good fortune continued when he and Alma purchased their first home and the one they both lived in until their deaths.

While not an educated man, he was a man of many talents. He knew the names of most trees and plants that grow in his part of Kentucky and could tell you the name of a bird just by listening to its song. He loved being outdoors and passed this love on to both his children.

On the day that he turned sixty-two he announced his retirement and spent every day that he could thereafter outside pursuing his greatest passions in life - fishing and gardening.

Many spring and fall days were spent crappie fishing. He loved traveling to Alabama to fish with his son Dennis, slipping over to Taylorsville Lake to catch a few big ones right as the sun came up with his late friend Allen and trying to keep his son-in-law Steve from getting his line caught up in the trees on their many days of fishing together. He caught some large fish in his lifetime, loved to tell some fish tales that were even bigger and delighted his family, friends and neighbors with some of his tasty catch.

As soon as the fear of frost was over in the spring he would head to local garden centers to buy flowers that he would nurture until the frost came for them in the fall. Random strangers would stop at his house to ask him what flowers he had planted and how they could get their own flowers to grow like his. He and Alma shared a green thumb, could grow most anything from a snip and took great pride in having a beautiful home and yard.

When their family could drag Leroy and Alma away from their rocking chair and front-porch swing, many memories were made on trips throughout the U.S. Some of the most memorable were vacations to Hawaii, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Niagara Falls, the Great Smoky Mountains, Michigan and many states and places in between. After Alma passed, Steve, Carol and Kyle were fortunate to have him accompany them to Alaska where he enjoyed seeing whales breach, glaciers calve, moose with their young, grizzlies at Denali National Park, the biggest flowers he had ever seen in his life, and eagles soaring overhead. He even tolerated sharing a reindeer hotdog with Steve in Anchorage. He loved this trip and Alaska.

Whether it was long trips or just drives through the countryside, trying to find some good fish to eat, watching UK basketball games with Kyle, or sitting on the front porch drinking a strawberry milkshake enjoying the hummingbirds our memories are so precious. Our time with him so short.

Leroy was blessed to have lived a life surrounded by family, neighbors and friends who loved and cared for him. He will be dearly missed.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, January 21st  from 1 – 4 PM at the Ritchie and Peach Funeral Home in Lawrenceburg, KY. Funeral services will be held on Monday, January 22nd  beginning at 11:00 AM at the funeral home. Bro. Roy Temple, Jr. will officiate the service. Burial will follow in the Lawrenceburg Cemetery.

Serving as pallbearers will be Robbie Armstrong, Wayne Hanks, Bobby Hicks, Terry Hicks, Jason Hanks, and Shannon Osten.

Memorials are suggested to Kentucky Fish & Wildlife (P.O. Box 4115, Frankfort, KY 40601).