James W. Shirley Funeral Home
Obituaries | The Tube City Almanac | April 15, 2026
Raymond B. Frye, 76 of Manor, passed away at home on April 14, 2026, after a long fight with COPD/emphysema and other illnesses. He was born December 20, 1949, in Greensburg, PA, the son of the late Dorothy and Raymond Frye. He was a 1967 graduate of Hempfield Area High School. In high school, Ray was lead singer in the band, All Luv Us, playing at many popular local places, and also being the intro for famous singers and bands. He enjoyed this until he and others in the band were drafted into the Vietnam War. He proudly served his country in the Air Force as a sergeant in the 819th Red Horse Combat Engineers Unit. After the war, he was a machinist for Westinghouse Electric, a long-haul tractor trailer driver for Helms Express, then became a Corrections Officer at the Western Penitentiary in Pittsburgh until his retirement due to his health. He enjoyed playing the guitar and singing, riding his motorcycle, and loving his cats and dogs through the years, especially his last long-living cat companion, Daisy. He enjoyed many years of helping baby-sit grandchildren Holly, Samantha, Eric and Alex, and watching them grow up into adults. He also enjoyed driving Marlene to visit places like Branson, MO for the country music, gem mining in North Carolina and finding a 9K ruby, searching for diamonds at Crater of Diamonds in Arkansas, and visiting her sister Bunny in Florida. He was a member of the American Legion, Vietnam Veterans, and VFW. Ray is survived by his wife of 32 years, Marlene (Krukowski/Zaucha); his sons, Kevin (Laurel), Brian (Tim), and Jimmy (Renee), step-son Garret (Lisa) Zaucha; grandchildren Eric, Alex, Autumn, Caleb, Miranda, Mason and Nathaniel (Frye), Holly and Samantha Zaucha; great granddaughter Callie Frye; sister, Donna (Corky) Betlan; Aunt Pat Whipkey; niece Traci (Jeff) Braid; nephew Jeff (Christy) Betlan; great nephews Bennette and Everett Braid; great nieces Violet Braid and Madelin Betlan; sisters-in-law Frances "Bunny" Aliskovitz and Virginia McLeod; best friend of over 40 years, Joe (Sue) White; and many other relatives, cousins and friends. We are very grateful to the nurses, aides and doctors at Forbes Regional Hospital for the incredible care they showed Ray as he was declining. He constantly thanked and loved each one of them. Toward the end, Ray was very happy and blessed to spend time with all of his family and feel their love. He will be forever grateful for that gift. He also had a wish he wanted to be known: "DON'T SMOKE! You will end up with terrible health and long suffering, not being able to breathe until the end." A celebration of Ray's life will be private, and his burial will be at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies, the Military cemetery located in Bridgeville, PA. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to your local American Legion, Vietnam Veterans or VFW, or your local animal shelter. Arrangements by James W. Shirley Funeral Home Inc. www.shirleyfuneralhome.com
Originally published April 15, 2026.
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