Ladd G. Frary

Ladd G. Frary

Ladd G. Frary, of Davisville, WV, passed away at Camden Clark Medical Center on March 3, 2026, at the age of 97. Born in Nebraska City, Nebraska, to Glenn Frary and Verda (Hauptman) Frary on May 5, 1928, he spent his early years in Hot Springs, South Dakota. During his summers after eighth grade, Ladd worked as a ranch hand at 7-11 Ranch outside Hot Springs. At age 17 in 1945, he graduated early from high school and joined the Navy in the final year of WWII. Following the end of the war, he served as an electrician’s mate on the U.S.S. Pine Island on the Operation Highjump expedition to Antarctica. After his time in the Navy, he attended college at Colorado A&M (now CSU) in Fort Collins, Colorado.

While studying for his master’s degree, he spent a summer at Tarryall Lake, Colorado, where he met his future wife, Alice Jones. They were married December 20, 1953, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He went on to work as a wildlife biologist for the New Mexico and South Dakota Game and Fish Departments and then in the U.S. Forest Service in Colorado and Wyoming for 30 years. During his career, he was also active in the National Guard. Upon retiring, he and Alice moved to Grand Junction, Colorado, where he served as an income tax preparer and occasionally helped the BLM and Forest Service during the wildfire season.

Ladd was preceded in death by his parents, sister Nancy Donovan, and son Greg Frary. He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Alice, sons Mike (Shelly) Frary, Doug (Anne) Frary, daughter-in-law Lisa Frary, grandchildren Kyle Frary, Dan Frary, Jenny Frary, Kelsa (Seth) Tinsley, and Jeff Frary (fiancé Katie Rogers), great-granddaughter Taegan Tinsley, brother Lynn (Patty) Frary, brother-in-law Uhl Donovan, goddaughter Gretchen Frary Seay, and many other nieces, nephews, cousins, and grand-nieces and nephews.

Ladd enjoyed fishing, hunting, trapping, and camping, and was greatly interested in genealogy and history. He could recall the scientific names of birds well into his nineties and could identify almost any tree or plant species. He was a brilliant, kind, and full of humor, and he will be greatly missed. A celebration of Ladd’s life is planned for May.