Fond Farewell: Credential Student Michele Fries

Announced on: Wednesday, Oct. 01, 2025

Michele Renee Fries, a teaching credential candidate, passed away on Monday, August 18, 2025. She was 53.

Born on March 22, 1972, Fries grew up in Red Bluff and devoted her life to family, education, and serving others. She attended Simpson University and later returned to school at Chico State to pursue her teaching credential in the education specialist field.

Having worked as a paraprofessional, she felt called to become a teacher, and she poured her heart into helping children with autism and developmental disabilities.

At Chico State, Fries was part of the GREAT Teachers Pipeline grant, where she quickly stood out as a dedicated and compassionate educator-in-training. Associate Professor Karen Schreder, who supervised Fries during the spring 2025 semester, recalled being struck by the way she "cared and connected deeply with the students she taught," creating lessons that were rich, hands-on, and engaging even during long class sessions. Schreder also remembered her as "deeply passionate about her family, her work, and her community of Red Bluff and Tehama County," noting that she will be deeply missed not only as a teacher but also as a parent and community member.

Fries' determination to keep learning, even while facing illness, left a profound impression on her professors and classmates. Professor Char Moffit remembered how she returned to an online course in the spring of 2024 despite her worsening health.
"She was so dedicated to learning that when her cancer had returned . . . she came back to my online course on Zoom with oxygen," Moffit said. "She just so badly wanted to come back to class and engage with her classmates."
Moffit also shared that Fries had once told her the grant program "changed her life," as it allowed her to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher.

Fries' life was filled with kindness and creativity. She was known for her warm smile and willingness to help those in need, whether preparing care packages for people experiencing homelessness or organizing toy drives at Christmas. A gifted artist and lover of crafts, she poured her creativity into everything she touched, brightening the lives of her family, friends, and students.

She is survived by her former husband, Elmer Fries III; her son, Elmer Fries IV; and her siblings, Blake and Hannah. The University flag will be lowered in Fries' honor on Thursday, October 2. A celebration of life will be held at Allen and Dahl Funeral Chapel in Redding, with details to be announced.