Obituary of Mansell H Fridia

Mansell Herbert Fridia was born June 9, 1952, to the parents of Otto and Deborah Fridia. Growing up in North Dallas at an early age Mansell took to the arts with dance and music, making percussion his specialty. At New Hope Baptist Church under Rev. H. Rhett James he accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior serving as drummer for over 25 years. While attending N.R. Crozier Technical High School he put his height to use as #11 on the Varsity Basketball team, graduating in 1970. Mansell went on to further his education at Prairie View A&M University taking his talents to the field as a member of the drumline with The Marching Storm. With scholarship and excellence he was inducted into Kappa Kappa Psi Band Fraternity graduating in 1976 with a Bachelors of Business. While there he meet the love of his life, Janis Flood whom he would wed June 2, 1979. With this union they birthed Mansell Fridia, Jr. and Dominique Fridia. As a hard worker, devoted husband and father he made a living with Dallas ISD, retiring as Executive Director of Custodial Services in 2013. To keep himself busy he often substituted within DISD, giving private drum lessons, and teaching African Drum class in the Bishop Arts District along with Swing Dance. Mansell leaves behind wife, Janis Fridia; son, Mansell Fridia, Jr.; daughter, Dominique Shotwell (Jermaine Sr.); sister, Joye Hamilton; brother, Charles Fridia (Ileana); brother-in-law, Hugh Flood Jr. (Toni); grandchildren, Jermaine Shotwell II and Lauren Shotwell; cousins, Angela Walker (Alfred), Louis Bedford III (Martha) and Diane Webster (John); brother-friends, Leslie Williams (Betty), Mike Gipson (Jacquelyn), James Williams (Thalia), Cedric James, Christopher Flowers (Jana); along with a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends from North Dallas, PVAMU, Dallas ISD, New Hope Baptist Church and a vast variety of other places.