Many in Arkansas are mourning the death of a man widely known for his loyalty, sense of humor, heart and willingness to give anyone the shirt off his back -- even if he didn't always have many shirts in his own closet.
Jack Fryer Jr., 71 -- who was known as "Daddy Jack" -- was presumed dead after the arrest of his brother Robert Fryer, 58.
A Silver Alert was issued Monday for both men, who had last been seen at 1 Dillon Hole Road in Hattieville, northwest of Morrilton in Conway County.
That Silver Alert was canceled late Tuesday after Robert Fryer was found in North Little Rock. After being questioned by investigators from the Conway County sheriff's office and the Arkansas State Police, Robert Fryer admitted to "causing the death of his brother," according to a news release from the sheriff's office.
After conducting a search at Jack Fryer's property in Conway County, investigators found what were believed to be bone fragments in a burn barrel, according to the news release. The remains were sent to the state Crime Laboratory for positive identification.
Robert Fryer was held on a charge of first-degree murder at the Conway County jail, said Shane West, criminal investigator with the Conway County sheriff's office. He has not appeared in court, and West said he could not elaborate on the investigation beyond what was said in the release.
On Thursday, people gathered for a prayer service in memory of Jack Fryer at Little Rock's Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church, where he was in the choir.
Jack Fryer, who loved all kinds of music, got the nickname "Daddy Jack" from his band, Daddy Jack and the United Soul Association, of which he was the lead singer. It was one of the many bands he was a part of in his lifetime.
Friends said that if there was a microphone, there was a good chance Jack Fryer was getting up to sing -- even if that microphone happened to be at a restaurant in Michigan he had just entered five minutes before.
He never learned how to read music despite his love for it. When he sang with the choir at the church, he listened, figured out the notes and faithfully sang every Sunday, even if the notes weren't quite right.
James Maase, minister of music, arts and worship at the church, said Jack Fryer had a great ear for music, but occasionally other choir members would try to correct his errant notes to make him blend in with the rest of the choir.
"Oh, well, I'm going to sing it like this," Maase recalled Jack Fryer telling them. "I figured out how I think it can work like this."
In his lifetime, Jack Fryer worked in the furniture business, in bonds and in real estate, where a family member said he spent 40 years working on that "big deal."
But Jack Fryer also struggled. Friends said that after he spent some time incarcerated after getting four DWIs, he used those experiences to help other people.
Understanding how difficult it can be for former inmates to make the transition back to life on the outside, he became active in rehabilitation efforts, prison ministries, Alcoholics Anonymous and establishing halfway houses.
"He'd turned his life around," said Bobby Tucker, managing director at Stephens Inc. and one of Jack Fryer's lifelong friends.
Tucker said he has been getting phone calls and emails all week from people in South Carolina, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Washington, D.C., and all over Arkansas.
"He was the most loyal friend anyone could ever have," Tucker said.
Friends said Jack Fryer was even loyal to those he didn't know.
He was known throughout town for dressing up like Santa every year to entertain children. But before his Santa act on Christmas Eve, he actually became Santa. Children in need would get footballs, basketballs and other presents delivered in person. He paid for all of it himself.
"He could speak to the very wealthiest person and sit on the street corner with a homeless person, and he treated them all the same," said Maase, the choir director. "He was just Jack."
Being "just Jack" made him popular in Little Rock and beyond. On Thursday, friends remembered their favorite stories of him and laughed. Many remembered the little quirks that made him famous.
His license plate read "Daddy J." And in his later years, he always carried a Bible with him, even if he was just planning to watch a football game. He gave people nicknames, many of which cannot be printed in a family newspaper. He loved Razorback football and was on the team during his time at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
Shalah Brummett, who dated Jack Fryer for three years, said he maintained a childlike sense throughout his life that many lose, and what it was like to be around him was difficult to sum up.
"It was fun," Brummett said. "It was just fun."
Metro on 05/29/2015