Charles Edgar Frazier

Date of Birth

January 8, 1934

Date of Death

September 17, 2014

City of Death

Santa Barbara

Charles Edgar Frazier, 80, of Santa Barbara, passed away peacefully on September 17, 2014 at Serenity House Hospice in Santa Barbara.

Born January 8, 1934, in Jacksonville, FL, Charles attended Grady High School and Georgia Tech in Atlanta and graduated from Emory University. In 1958 he earned a Master of Divinity degree, Cum Laude, from Emory’s Candler School of Theology where, in recognition of scholarship and distinction, he was elected to the International Society of Theta Phi.

From 1958-1961, Charles served as Minister of Education at First Methodist Church in Athens, GA, after which he became Director of Youth Work for the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC). During this time, Charles helped organize the first racially desegregated Methodist youth conference in the state of Georgia. He also made lifelong friendships at the UMC’s Camp Glisson in the North Georgia Mountains.

Charles’ work next brought him to Evanston, IL, where he served first as Associate Minister of the First United Methodist Church and later in several roles at the UMC’s Board of Global Ministries. During this time, Charles developed an interest in the field of aging, earning professional certification from the University of Michigan’s Institute of Gerontology. Before leaving Evanston, he would serve as Assistant Administrator at United Methodist Homes and Services in Chicago, IL and as Assistant General Secretary of the Section on Aging for the UMC, and would travel on various international delegations dedicated to improving services for the aging.

From 1984 until his retirement in 2004, Charles served as Executive Director of the Vista del Monte Retirement Community in Santa Barbara, CA. During that period he oversaw the complete redevelopment of the community, including the creation of one of the first fitness and aquatic centers for seniors in the state. (His family smiles at the pleasure he would get, knowing that when you Google “best senior fitness and aquatic centers,” Vista’s is the very first entry to appear!) Two years ago, he took great pride in becoming a resident of his beloved Vista del Monte.

In retirement, Charles, known in later life to friends as Charlie, enormously enjoyed time on the Pacific Ocean around the Channel Islands, nature photography, international travel and four-wheeling in the Southwestern US with family and friends, and visits with family members scattered around the US. The only thing Charlie loved more than having an adventure was recording and replaying that adventure on whatever new iGadget he’d recently purchased.

Charles is loved and missed by daughters Elizabeth Rosen (Lee) of Buffalo, NY, and Carolyn Frazier (Todd Israelite) of Evanston, IL, much-loved grandchildren Eliza and William Rosen, and Stella and Josey Israelite, former wife Emily Stamos (John) of Evanston, sister Ivylyn Scott (Richard) of Scottsdale, AZ, niece Donna Edwards (Bruce) of Atlanta, and many longtime friends from Vista and Vieja Gardens, where he lived for 28 years.

The family would like to specially thank the staff of Vista’s Rehabilitation and Care Center as well as Serenity House for their compassion and care during Charles’ illness and last days. We will long remember your kindness.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 3pm on Feb. 14, 2015, at Vista del Monte, 3775 Modoc Rd., Santa Barbara. All are welcome. Memorial donations may be made to: The Vista del Monte Fitness & Aquatic Center (checks made to Fact Foundation, noted “C. Frazier FAC”), 3775 Modoc Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 or Camp Glisson Dining Room Fund, 690 Camp Glisson Rd., Dahlonega, GA 30533.

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