Keystone Threads

Matthew Charles Merritt Fry was born at State College, Pennsylvania, on February 15, 1994, the son of Betty Merritt. He experienced complications at birth, and was baptized the following day. Matt overcame this early challenge, and grew into a young man who earned good grades and participated in karate and elementary school football. In 2000, his eventual father, Michael Fry, met Betty and they were married in 2002. We knew our family was endorsed by Matthew when he grabbed the microphone at the wedding reception and told everyone, “don’t worry about us, we’re going to be ok!”. The newly formed family enjoyed life as a trio, then grew to five when Samuel D. and Noah M. were born in 2004. Matt was an indispensable part of the tribe, and mentored the twins through their early childhood. Matt continued his football and karate journey, earning his black belt in Tang So Do, and playing varsity football for a small school in North Central Pennsylvania. He loved Penn State University, and was accepted into the engineering program at PSU Behrend, located in a family-favorite vacation spot, Erie, Pennsylvania, but chose to serve in the military first and enrolled in the Air Force.

Shortly after graduation from basic training in 2012, Matt met his future wife while serving in the Air Force Honor Guard. He held a deep respect for the precision movements required by the guard, drawing a meaningful connection between that disciplined training and his formative years in karate–a pursuit that always brought him great joy. Driven by quiet determination, Matt took his duties incredibly seriously, striving to perfect every movement to properly honor those who served and sacrificed.

His commitment to the Honor Guard did not prevent Matthew from achieving in his chosen line of work, Signals and Intelligence. He quickly rose through through the ranks and became a Staff Sergeant. He was eulogized as a dedicated, hard-working airman with an innate ability to take others under his wing to teach them his craft. His work was significant, and his research briefs were read by officials in the United Nations. While serving, he also earned his Associates Degree.

Matthew Charles Merritt Fry died by suicide on March 13, 2020. His loss is deeply felt even today, and his parents keep his story alive through service with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors or T. A. P. S.