On most bridal registries you will find things like coffee makers, china, linens and other household goods. 

If you were on the guest list of Linda and Richard Frary’s wedding last spring, you would have found goats, pigs and trees; all items that they were asking be purchased through Heifer International in order to benefit children and families in rural villages around the world. 

Richard and Linda were both participating at Landmark Education when they met.  They say that as they began to plan their wedding they wanted to make sure that it made a difference in the world.  Instead of having people give customary gifts they requested that people make donations to Heifer International. 

Heifer International is a global non-profit that provides farm animals and trees to families in developing countries so that they can create economic self-reliance.  Each donation pays for at least one animal that goes to a family in need and to date the Frary wedding has resulted in 55 donations.

Both retired from previous careers, Linda and Richard are dedicated to helping others fulfill their dreams.   Said Richard, “You get nothing if you don’t give something away.”

You can read more about Richard and Linda’s wedding in this story from the Sarasota Herald Tribune.

Couple proves it’s never too late to find true love

BY AIMEE CHOUINARD CORRESPONDENT

The Frarys are new homeowners in Beneva Pines. Married just a few weeks ago, Richard, 66, and Linda, 59, are a testament that finding love late in life is possible. In two weeks, they will embark on a three-week honeymoon toBora Bora.  The Frarys dated for two years before they married. One year into the relationship, Richard Frary asked Linda to marry him.”I asked her, and she said, ‘No,'” Richard said with a laugh.  “I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to get married again,” Linda explained.  “And that was OK,” Richard said. “A couple months later, we were at the beach, looking out at the ocean, and I asked her again.”

They were married on Turtle Beach on Siesta Key, surrounded by family and friends, including Linda’s newly found birth family, whom Linda, who was adopted, never knew.Instead of registering for gifts at a department store, the Frarys registered with an organization called Heifer International, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to help end world hunger and poverty through self-reliance and sustainability. More than 60 guests visited the Web site beforehand to donate goats, pigs and trees to help children and families around the world become self-reliant. Richard Frary has been retired for 10 years from his Miami wholesale air-conditioning and heating products company. Linda Frary owned a picture-framing store in Connecticut and opened the same business here in Sarasota. She recently closed Sarasota Framing and Design to retire.” We’re getting younger, so we need more time to play,” Richard Frary joked. The Frarys both have children from previous marriages, Linda has a daughter and Richard has a son and a daughter.Richard Frary recently moved from Miami to Englewood, leaving his Englewood beach home to live with Linda in Sarasota.

Some of their best memories are of hours they spent engrossed in long conversations about their lives, their families and their dreams at the beach house.” It was during those intimate conversations that I realized Richard was such a special guy,” Linda said.

 Intimate conversations have been a part of the Frarys’ relationship since they both participated in personal development work with a company called Landmark Education.” Landmark has had a lot to do with the incredible relationship we have created. When I did the Landmark Forum, I got over my past. Linda was a huge support during that time. That’s when I fell in love with her,” Richard said. The Frays are committed to making a difference in their community and the world. “We have great friends,” Linda said. “We meet people everywhere we go and just start talking.

“We love to meet people when we travel and are looking for ways we can contribute in other countries. We strive to be an example of a loving relationship in the world.”

The Frarys say they love Sarasota because of the arts, the entertainment and the creative spiritual community with so many organizations to be a part of. They plan to keep Sarasota as their home while traveling the world. Linda volunteers with Girls Inc., assisting with classes and programs. She says she loves being with the kids. She plans to also continue her already established involvement with the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce.” We have an easygoing life,” Linda said. “We’re always running somewhere and always have something to do.”

In addition to traveling, the Frarys garden together and especially enjoy growing orchids. They kayak, snorkel and go boating together. Richard’s passion is windsurfing.“People ask, “How can I have what you and Linda have?” says Richard. 

In unison, the Frarys say, “We just choose it!”