There are a few stories to tell. Famous author’s missing shoes; walks by the Lake at JT’s; Indians Championship game sitting right near my twin sister’s whole crew.

Eulogy for Bill Fraser

1. Welcome – Welcome everyone, close family, friends. This service may actually be a continuation of a week of reminiscing, a process of story telling- all Frasers have at least 8 stories, I’m told- and not all of them intersect in expected ways! It’s an ongoing process extending back through eighty years. His daughter Ingrid said that in a way he really did know how to bring people together after all. So here we are to acknowledge and celebrate the life of Bill Fraser. So since all Fraser have a story I’ll begin with one.

2. I’d start with just one story. On a camping trip with his wife a Elizabeth, they saw a bear with a beer can stuck in his mouth. The bear could not dislodge it. Alarmed at the bears plight, Elizabeth urged Bill to intervene. Bill went right went up to the bear and attempted to pry the stuck can out. (He failed, but all walked away unscathed- a ranger came to see to the bear.) This particulate brand of fearlessness may sound familiar to Fraser’s, certainly it represents the arc of the life of this particular Fraser.

3. A summary of a life is never simple. Bill Fraser was a distinguished architect, active in New York, Seattle, California, Florida, Oregon and Cleveland. He was perhaps a bit of a workaholic- with a endless vigor and intensity and curiosity to finish projects. He was an avid photographer. He was an incredible artist and a quick study, instantly seeing artistic order and design and composition possibilities everywhere. A lover of Nature that challenged Nature- as in the story with the bear-these qualities are hereditary, by the way. Quick mind, quick reaction time, creatively “overcoming objectives” as his brother Jim puts it.

4. A theme emerges: His brother Jim puts it this way: “What happens when you tell a Fraser no?” All seem to agree that Frasers are fighters, (sometimes amongst themselves) and a devil-may-care passion, and a fearlessness about outcomes, was often what Bill Fraser was all about.

5. A person like Bill was difficult. It can be said that Bill was sweet to outsiders, but tough within the family. It hasn’t been easy, and more so, this final year. Life goes on, in spite of everything. To the point that a little miracle has occurred. A life that seemingly has ended at a zero point- his brother said he seemed to have lost everything- has generated the greatest wealth there can be.

6. For here we all are. This past year has been a time of people coming together to help each other, to find each other- if only to get through the next “thing”, life’s next daily challenge. These recent weeks have been full of thoughts and reminiscing, with conflicts to figure out, or file away. Old decisions may have been dusted off or discarded all together. Or that may have happened long ago, people not wanting to hold on too tightly to the past. With endless stories to tell, laughs around a nice bottle of wine at day’s end with family. And,again, Bill’s daughter Ingrid said- ” ‘Spite of everything, Bill sure knew how to bring people together!”

7. So here we are sharing thoughts and perhaps a prayers, thankful for the gift of life, enjoying what’s good about this particular complicated one, and the unique gifts shared in the Fraser family. Keeping what’s good, moving forward.

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Sept 12, 2017

written with input from Jim Fraser and Ingrid Fraser

Respectfully,

James Koehneke 

(Pictured Ingrid’s Aunt Mary and Gene;

(above, Ingrid’s Aunt Lorraine and JT Fraser; above, Lauren and young Charlotte; above, Koehneke/Pinter at an Indians baseball game) All reunion for memorial of Ingrid’s dad, in Ohio.