Raleigh Sylvester Frye, the youngest of nine children born to the late Virgil and Ida Beverly Frye, was born on June 21, 1938, in Caroline County, Virginia.  He departed this life on July 1, 2021, at Mary Washington Hospital.    In 1941, with the acquisition of the family property by Camp A.P. Hill, the family moved to Spotsylvania, Virginia, where Raleigh lived until his death.  Raleigh attended Diggs Elementary School and graduated from John J. Wright High School in 1956.

In 1949, he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and became a member of the Shiloh Baptist Church in Bowling Green, Virginia where he attended Sunday School and sang on the youth choir.  As an adult, he taught the Senior High Sunday school class and later the adult class.  He was a member of the Men's choir and the Brotherhood Ministry and served as the president of both for many years.  He attended Wednesday night bible study and prayer service regularly.  In 1970, Raleigh accepted his call to serve as a deacon and was ordained at the Shiloh Baptist Church.  He served faithfully and for a short time, he was its chairman until leaving in 1999.

For many years, Raleigh fulfilled his passion for gospel singing as a member of two gospel quartets, "The Bowling Green Harmonaires" and later "The Saints of God."  They traveled to many states ministering the gospel through song, and they also produced a record album.  He loved working in his yard, planting flowers and shrubs.  He could be heard singing as he cut the grass on his riding lawn mower.

On September 16, 1967, Raleigh was united in holy matrimony to Evelyn Redd.  He was faithful to his vows and devoted himself to trying to be the husband described in Ephesians 5:25. Many say that they were an example of love and commitment to God and to each other.

Raleigh worked at Mary Washington College, George Washington Hotel, and FMC Plant before beginning at General Services Administration in 1968, where he worked for twenty-six years until his retirement in 1994.  After retirement, he worked at the Fredericksburg Auto Auction for ten years.

In February 2000, after much prayer and visiting several churches closer to his home, Raleigh felt led by the Holy Spirit to join the Shiloh New Site Church family.  In October of that year, he accepted the call to serve with the diaconate ministry.  He was a dedicated member of the Sunday School ministry, the men's ministry, and the Chancellor choir.  He also attended Wednesday night prayer and bible study services regularly.  He was faithful to the ministries that God called him to until his health limited his activities.  Raleigh's favorite scripture was  1Corinthians 13, the love chapter, and he truly loved the Lord, his family, his many friends and people in general.  He adopted Brenda who he named Hummingbird as his sister and Liz who he called daughter.  Whenever you asked him how he was doing, his answer was always, "Holding on to the mighty hand."

In addition to his parents, Virgil and Ida Frye, he was preceded in death by five sisters, Virgie, Ella, Martha, Lyllian, and Eldora; and one brother, Moses.

He leaves to cherish many beautiful memories: his loving wife of 53 years, Evelyn, who he called Pudding; one devoted sister, Alberta Frye and one brother, Aaron Frye, Sr.; one goddaughter, Joanne Cunningham; one godson, Lee Howard; fifteen nieces, Jackie G, Valerie, Deborah, Brigitte, Gayle, Rita, Patrice, Mona, Vanessa, Joanne, Jackie W., Beverly Ann, Vera, Amanda and Marquita;  eight nephews, Michael, Gilbert, Orlando, John, Aaron, Jr., James, Franklin and Ronnie; many great nieces and great nephews, cousins, and friends; he had two devoted special friends, James Berry, who preceded him in death, but his daughter, Veronica continued to share his friendship and passion for gospel music and Ocie Byrd of Greenville, South Carolina who remains a loyal loving brother.

Special gratitude to his niece, Valerie, who donated one of her kidneys to him in 2008 that added years of dialysis-free life; and his nephew, James (Sonny) and nieces Brigitte, Deborah, Jackie W., and Rita who provided for his needs in later life.

We will miss Raleigh more than words can express—his beautiful smile and his tender loving support.  But we can rejoice in knowing that he is in the presence of the Lord where there is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore.  Just think of Raleigh when he stepped on shore and found it to be heaven, of taking a hand and finding it God, of breathing new air and finding it celestial, of waking up in glory and finding it home.

Graveside services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, July 5, 2021 at Mt. Lawn Cemetery, Woodford Road, Woodford, Virginia 22580.

Livestreaming will be available on C W Edwards Funeral Home Facebook page.