Cherie Calm Frye

Cherie Calm Frye of Plymouth, Minnesota passed away on Sunday March 27, 2022 at the age of 78. Cherie was born on November 3, 1943 to Russell and Clara (Thompson) Calm, the first of three children. She grew up in Evanston, IL and graduated from Evanston Township High School in 1961. Following her graduation, Cherie attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Nursing in 1966. Upon graduation, she worked as a staff nurse at University Hospital. As a student she met Michael, her husband of 53-years. They married in 1968 and welcomed their first son Eric in 1969. Mike and Cherie lived in Madison for two more years, then relocated to the Chicago area. Cherie continued to work evenings as a nurse until making the decision to stay home full-time to care for her growing family. Cherie and Mike welcomed Andrew in 1974. The family was complete with Ben’s arrival in 1975. In 1977, the family moved to Houston, TX, and then to Plymouth, MN in 1982. She was happy to move back up north, as she preferred the climate and beauty of the upper Midwest. During the 70's and 80's, Cherie flourished as a full-time mom. She was a Cub Scout Den leader for many years. She also volunteered in the PTA. When her youngest son was in high school, Cherie re-entered the workforce as a nurse at an assisted living center near her home. She cared for the elderly and those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's disease. For her family, she made birthdays extra special. She took great care buying and wrapping presents, baking a themed birthday cake (or birthday pie), and ensuring that the birthday boy/girl felt like the most important person in the world. Christmas, however, was her specialty. Every Christmas Eve the family celebrated with a traditional Swedish meal and a family gift opening. Christmas day was magical. Perfectly wrapped presents were packed under the tree. Every child had an equal number of gifts, and all were signed by Santa himself! In her later years, she and Mike bred many litters of champion golden retrievers. They took pride in being responsible breeders and carefully screening buyers to make sure that each dog went to a good home. She also enjoyed spending time in the garden, reading, and learning about her ancestry. She had a gift for music and was a talented piano player. Cherie loved being a grandmother. Every summer from 2003 to 2019, she and Mike brought their grandchildren to a program called Grandparents University at UW-Madison for three days of interactive learning based on the grandchild’s chosen “major”. She thoroughly enjoyed the experience each year and was a proud supporter of the UW Alumni Association. Cherie was a lover of golden retrievers, photography, the Wisconsin Badgers, and her Swedish heritage. She was a caregiver by nature, and cared deeply about social justice issues. Above all else, Cherie loved her family. Cherie always put others before herself and served as a role model to everyone who knew her. If you talked to her about a problem, you would always walk away feeling better. To her daughters-in-law, she was like a second mother. She was a mother-in-law that every woman wished they had. As her last act of selflessness, she donated her organs to would-be transplant recipients. Cherie is survived by her husband Michael Frye; her three sons Eric (Amy) Frye, Andrew Frye, and Ben (Leslie) Frye; six grandchildren Megan (Tom) Schutte, Brandon Frye, Zachary Frye, Lukas Frye, Olivia Frye, and Piper Frye; brother Randy Calm; sister Chris (Tim) Albers; many other relatives and friends who loved her dearly. She was preceded in death by her parents Russell and Clara Calm; sister-in-law Cathy Calderone Calm. Cherie’s life will be celebrated at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in the Snyder Auditorium at 4:00 PM; Thursday, June 23, 2022 surrounded by family and friends. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to: Funeral And Cremation Service of Rush City~Olson Chapel. www.FuneralAndCremationService.com