Sallie Frye, MA, an audiologist who as International Marketing Manager of Frye Electronics helped propel the company to worldwide prominence, passed away on May 22 due to complications related to Alzheimers disease in her home near Portland, Ore, accompanied by family. She was 81.
One would be hard-pressed to name a more cheerful and kind person in our field. Sallie always had a glitter of enthusiasm and genuine caring in her eyes. While she maintained a quiet and humble demeanor, she was also an extremely smart and competitive spirit who was very good at marketing the diagnostic and hearing aid fitting equipment that her engineer-husband, George Frye, invented. They traveled the world together and were married for almost 59 years.
Sallie earned a Bachelors’ degree in English from St Teresa’s College in Kansas City and a Masters in Audiology from Portland State University. She and George were grad students at the University of Kansas (KU) in Lawrence, and they moved to Oregon in 1962—being welcomed by the famous Columbus Day wind storm and a local earthquake. She participated in early recycling efforts in her area, collecting glass bottles to help pay for Camp Fire Girls projects, and also helped develop the tennis center of the Tualatin Valley Park and Recreation Tennis facility.
An exceptional athlete, Sallie loved tennis. She excelled in tennis tournaments, and in 1996 celebrated her 50th anniversary in tournament play at the West Hills Racket Club. In the 1960s she was a member of the Irvington Tennis Club which would later host the Pacific Coast Indoor Championships. As she became older, she regularly won competitions in her age group—and also impressed at the informal events held during the 1990s at the annual meetings of the Hearing Industries Association (HIA), an organization in which she and George were long-time and valued members.
Sallie was a very loving and social person who had many friends. Her last words were “I love you.”
Her funeral was held at Holy Trinity Parish in Beaverton, Ore, on May 30. Interment of her cremated remains was at St Anthony’s Cemetery in Tigard on June 6. Her urn is engraved with a tennis racket and ball. She is survived by her husband, George; four children, Michael Frye, Katherine Doherty, Kristina Frye, and Patrick Frye; five grandchildren, and many special friends and relatives.
The world lost a good, kind soul when Sallie Frye left us.
I’ll never forget the kindness she showed me at a time when I needed it! She loved her family, her work and her life.
My condolences to George and the rest of the family.
I met George in 1992 in China. I visited their company in Portland, OR, in 1994. They invented an excellent hearing aid box!! Thanks for their contribution.
Karl
Thank you for sharing. Sallie was a terrific person and she, along with George, were major contributors to the success of HIA and the hearing health community. She will be missed.
Tom Begley
I was always happy to see Sally’s warm smile, and hear her kind words. She was a leader with a true heart that helped many. She will be remembered and missed.