Sydney Frymire: Friend to FreeWalkers & Nepal
By Cory Storch:
I just learned of the untimely passing of Sydney Frymire. She was a friend who led an inspiring life and who will be missed by many. I had the good fortune to meet her through the Freewalkers back in 2017.
She was organizing a trek in Nepal on the Indigenous Peoples Path, towards the major peaks but far enough from them to put us where people live, farm and observe traditional customs. And no tourists. I drank the cool aid. Looking back, I can say that this was typical Sydney, going where people are the main reason to visit and experience them and the world’s biggest mountains are a secondary feature. But the spectacular scenery did not disappoint.
A few year later, I joined another of her Nepal treks. These treks more than met my expectations, thanks to Sydney. Both times, Sydney brought the group into the lives of local artists and entrepreneurs, in Katmandu and in the countryside. As I got to know Nepal and Sydney better, I learned that she had a successful career as a Social Worker in the DC area. Then she reached a point where she wanted to redirect her life, which led to a Nepal trek, which led to embracing Nepal and its people in so many ways.
She became involved in the Basa Village Foundation, raising funds and friends for this village that needed resources for infrastructure development. This is a village near Mt Everest, far from the amenities like running water, that we take for granted. Sydney felt strongly that adventure tourism has to be locally operated and her treks were staffed by a Nepali owned group, so the employees were locals and the profits stayed local. At the end of each trek, Sydney coached the trekkers on the importance of generous tipping of the porters, cooks and guides who supported us.
Before and after each trek, Sydney invited us to stay in Nepal and meet her many friends who were artists, teachers and philanthropists. We took a tour of a musical instrument museum, attended a traditional dance performance and visited a school for orphans. She brought us to a village that was adapting to the tourism surge by modifying their abodes for tourist home stays. Sydney used her social work training and experience to work with human trafficking survivors. I am sure she had other endeavors I don’t know about.
Back in the States, Sydney retired from her day job and moved to Kingston to be near her daughter, whose work as an artist she was very proud of. Regarding Sydney’s Freewalker connection, she was a Kennedy 50 volunteer. I am confident that many people will agree that Sydney was a special person, adventurous and inspirational and at the same time warm, fun loving and down to earth. My condolences to her family and friends. She will be missed by the many people whose lives she touched.