Lawrence Roger Frazier

Lawrence Roger Frazier, 91, of Poland, ME and formerly of East Hartford, CT, beloved husband of 50 years to the late Doris (Johnson) Frazier, passed away peacefully on November 11, 2024, with his loving family nearby.

Born in Hartford, CT on November 7, 1933, he was the son of the late Manuel and Harriet (Augsten) Frazier.

On March 1, 1951, Larry enlisted in the US Air Force where he earned his GED and proudly served the 77th Air Base Squadron in Suffolk County, Long Island during the Korean War as a medic. Larry then served in the Air National Guard in CT until his honorable discharge on August 15, 1956. Larry attended North Carolina State University and subsequently apprenticed under Albert Lawrence until he passed his Architectural Board Exams. He opened his own firm in 1965, Lawrence Frazier, Architect. The firm evolved since that date transitioning to Frazier & Vigneau Architects, Frazier, Lamson, and Budlong, PC and eventually to its present name FLB Architecture and Planning, Inc. During more than six decades, Larry successfully practiced until his retirement, leaving his indelible legacy on a variety of schools, churches and businesses in the area.

Larry became a Rotarian on October 11, 1967, where his dedication and service to his community was witnessed by many. From that date on, without fail, you could count on seeing Larry every Wednesday afternoon from 12 - 2 at the weekly Rotary Meeting. Throughout his many years in the Rotary Club, Larry held various roles, including President as well as Co-Chair of the Scholarship Fund. On March 30, 1991, Larry was presented with Rotary's highest honor when he became a Paul Harris Fellow. Larry’s years of service and brotherhood with his fellow Rotarians were a highlight of his life. A special treat for his daughters each year was getting to be on the radio while participating in the live broadcast of the Rotary Christmas Radio show.

Larry was a very active communicant of Saint Rose Parish for a number of years. He served as a member of the Parish Council, as well as a Lector and Eucharist Minister. One question routinely asked of him by his daughters on Sunday mornings was if he was “reading or feeding” at mass that day. On March 22, 2009, Larry was honored by the Archdiocese of Hartford when he received the Saint Joseph Award of Appreciation for being outstanding in his parish for his long-standing dedication and service.

In his younger years, Larry enjoyed many weekends boating with family and friends. He navigated the seas to a variety of destinations including Newport and Block Island while captaining his various sailboats, among them the Windward Lady, Nineve, and Thalassa. Larry and his brother spent countless hours building a catamaran in his basement and garage. They eventually moved this project to a more appropriate setting where they made her a seaworthy vessel and enjoyed a number of voyages between her christening and her retirement. Besides his passion for sailing, Larry dipped his toes in various hobbies throughout his life. He hunted pheasant with his dog Tinker, he collected wine to add to his homemade wine cellar in the basement of his East Hartford home, went deep sea fishing with friends on a number of occasions, and spent time collecting and shooting various firearms, often spending afternoons at the range. Larry joined a tennis club where he played for many years and although, despite his efforts, none of his progeny took up this particular sport. Among his favorite sports teams were the Boston Celtics, the Boston Red Sox and the Hartford (New England) Whalers, often taking his family to hockey games at the Civic Center. Larry was a lifetime avid reader. He mostly enjoyed historical fiction and non-fiction, voraciously reading war time novels and battles on the high seas. His retirement years also allowed him more time to develop and practice his golf game. While on the course, he continuously sought the ever elusive “perfect swing” to which his sons in law and grandsons can attest; cussing like a drunken sailor every time the ball didn't quite hit its intended mark. Dubbed BIG LAR while the older girls were in high school, this affectionate moniker followed him for many years. Being a learned man, he never truly understood why none of his daughters got “the math gene”. Many turbulent hours were spent at the dining room table while he agonizingly “taught” his daughters the lessons they couldn’t quite grasp. His daughter’s lack of “the math gene” continues to be one of the great mysteries of the world.

Spending time with his grandchildren was a particular love of Larry’s. When they were young, he enjoyed their silly energy, often joining them on the floor for some lighthearted wrestling. As they grew, he was proud of the young men and women he witnessed them become. As an extremely proud grandfather, Papa attended as many school and sporting events as he could. It always put a grand smile on his face to see the many successes and accomplishments of his grandchildren. While in attendance at their sporting events his spirited vocal utterances were tolerated by all within earshot. (As was his singing in church.)

A loving husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, Larry will be dearly missed by his six daughters and their families: Sheilah and Michael McCoy of Ripley, West Virginia, Jaime and Christopher George of Warwick, Rhode Island, Jerilyn and Tim Cook of Poland, Maine, Betsi and Gary Feldman, Sr. of Ellington CT, Leigh-An Boyer of Enfield, CT, and Keri Peterson and Don Kahn of Hopewell Junction NY; sixteen adored grandchildren, Justin, Chelsea (Jacob) Newby, Devan, Iain (Emily) McCoy, Caitlin, Cameron (Emily) George, Andy (Savannah) Cook, Kenzie, Lindsay (Dominic) Chasse, Julianne, Gary Jr., Joshua, Zachary, Ethan, Victoria and Nicholas (Courtney) Peterson; and eleven great grandchildren Zoey, Tanner, Lauchlan, Barret, Oliver, Aubrey, Asher, Charlotte, Henley, Lennox, and Bodie. He is also survived by his brother Robert Frazier and his wife Patricia, nieces Marybeth and Lauren and nephew Matthew.

In addition to his parents, Larry was predeceased by his sister Linda (Frazier) and her husband Robert Tomas of Glen Rock, NJ.

Special thanks to the staff of the Kerry Unit (especially Donna who took him under her wing and “helped” her with her daily tasks) and the Dublin Unit (the “Dream Team”, CNA’s, med techs and his hospice nurses) at Clover Manor where Larry resided for the last year-and-a-half.

Calling hours for Larry will be Saturday morning (December 28th) from 9 – 10:30 am at the D’Esopo East Hartford Memorial Chapel, 30 Carter Street, East Hartford, CT. His funeral procession to church will leave the funeral home at 11 am for his Mass of Christian Burial at 11:30 am at St. Patrick – St. Anthony Church, 285 Church Street, Hartford, CT. Private burial will be held at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, donations in Larry’s memory may be made to the East Hartford Rotary Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 280722, East Hartford, CT 06128-0722. To share a memory of Larry with his family, please visit www.desopoeh.com