Mary Madeline Frazer
Our beloved mother, Mary Frazer, died in her home, surrounded by family, early on July 28, 2020.
Born 1930 in Detroit, MI to Raymond & Rebecca Logan, Mary was a conscientious, generous & kind, hard-working mother, wife, friend & neighbor, as well as a creative, talented cook. Mary was the fourth of six children: James, John, Harold, Mary, Jacqueline and Francis. Sadly, Rebecca died when Mary was only 16.
Because Mary’s older brothers left school to fight in WWII, Mary was first to graduate from St. Benedict High School in 1948, then, from Mercy College in 1951 (Nursing). Mary & her dad drove from Detroit to Santa Monica, where she began her new job as a nurse. In a 1954 blind date, a charming aeronautical engineer from Dixon, IL won her heart; she & Henry Frazer married in 1954 at St. Benedict’s Roman Catholic Church, in Detroit, after which they returned to Santa Monica, where their first two daughters were born. In 1956, they moved to Santa Barbara, where Hank joined the growing local aeronautical industry, and there welcomed the births of a son and two more daughters.
Until 1958, Mary worked as nurse and nursing instructor. Then, she devoted years to her children, family & community. She led brownies & girl scout troops, cub & boy scout packs, was Girl Scout Cookie Mom for years, volunteered at the First Presbyterian Church, took on various roles in Washington Elementary School’s PTA, even helping as a playground “yard duty.” In 1974, after the end of her marriage, Mary returned to nursing, eventually becoming the Assistant Director of Nurses at Cottage Care Hospital.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Mary and her sister, Jacqueline, met in Las Vegas, where they laughed and played the dollar slots, to remarkable successes. Mary retired in 1992, to garden, indulge her voracious appetite for reading, enjoy the company of her children, grandchildren & eventually, great grandchildren, and enjoy life in Santa Barbara.
Mary is survived by 5 children: Rebecca Shawver of Redmond, OR, Kathleen & Giles Kenyon of Cave Creek, AZ, Michael & Maybel Frazer of Port Hueneme, CA, Jennifer Frazer & Steve Phillips of New Canaan, CT, & Barbara Logan, Santa Barbara; 9 grandchildren: Jason & Jessica Raasch, Katie Shawver, Roy DeMarco, Anna Cessario, Emma & Logan Phillips, Paul & Mae Jean Logan; 3 great-grandchildren: Audrey DeMarco, Dominic & Daniel Cessario; her brother Francis Logan, & many nieces & nephews.
Because the Covid19 pandemic prevented a public gathering, we held an intimate family celebration of life. We hope to someday hold a public memorial for our beloved mother.