Paul Eldred Frazier

Paul Eldred Frazier passed away during the early morning hours of May 24, 2022 in Sacramento, California after a long illness. Paul was born on April 6, 1970 in Pocatello, Idaho to Sarah and Helbent Frazier and was given his middle name after his uncle Eldred (Audgie) Fast Horse. His parents worked with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service (IHS), which took the family many places. Paul grew up off and on tribal lands, including those of the Shoshone-Bannock, Lakota, White Mountain Apache, Tohono O’odham, Northern Cheyenne, Crow, and Yupik, but he counted home to be among the Cheyenne River Sioux.

After graduating from high school in Bethel, Alaska in 1988, Paul joined the US Army and served from 1988 to 1991. He attended jump school at Fort Benning, Georgia and was trained as a combat medic specialist at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. After his training, he was assigned to the 27th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he provided routine and emergency medical care for fellow soldiers. His deployments outside of the continental US included Honduras, Central America, Guyana, South America and the Persian Gulf. In August 1990 his battalion deployed to Saudi Arabia to support Operation Desert Shield and in February 1991 they were attached to the French 6th Light Armored Division becoming the lead engineer battalion for XVIII Airborne Corps in its push to the western allied flank during Operation Desert Storm. After his honorable discharge from military service, Paul attended the University of Alaska at Anchorage and then transferred to the South Dakota School of Mines where he graduated with a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering in 1998. In 1999, Paul married Melanie Padayao, the youngest daughter of Godfrey and Violet Padayao who were beloved friends of Paul’s parents, having met in Tuba City, Arizona long before either Paul or Melanie were born.

Paul was well known for his strong work ethic and he held a wide variety of jobs in his life. Among his first jobs in high school were working at a shoppette, an elementary preschool (lunch helper), and an airline, where he cleaned out planes. After graduating from university, he joined the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico where he worked on a hazardous materials team as part of a post baccalaureate internship. In 1999, he was commissioned as an officer in the US Public Health Service and was detailed to the IHS for 21 years. He enjoyed the work assignments he had as a field engineer in the Sanitation Facilities Construction program at Arcata, California, Parker, Arizona and Polacca, Arizona. At these locations, he worked in partnerships with tribes to improve water and wastewater disposal facilities for tribal homes. In 2006, he changed his work focus from sanitation facilities construction to health care facilities when he transferred to San Simon, Arizona where he focused on the operation and maintenance of a newly constructed health care facility.

The loves of Paul’s life included his wife and daughters along with his childhood horse Arrow, wrestling, cycling, telemark skiing, his dog D-O-G, Arizona Coyotes hockey, and his peaceful time alone. He considered his greatest accomplishment to be helping to raise two capable young women, Christine and Mary, who filled his life with joy. He felt especially indebted to his dear wife Melanie who followed him from place to place throughout their marriage and who was his biggest supporter.

Paul is survived by his wife, Melanie, and two daughters, Christine and Mary, of Sacramento; parents Helbent and Sarah Frazier and siblings Julie, Cathie, Luke (Tiffany) and Isaac of Tucson, Arizona; brother Francis (Pavla) of Rockville, Maryland; one uncle, Emmett (Jody) Thompson of Eagle Butte; four aunts, Arlene Thompson and Bernadette (Terry) Halfred of Eagle Butte, Verlyn Fast Horse of Pierre, South Dakota, and Ivajean (Mike) Carter of Scottsburg, Indiana; nieces and nephews, Naomi (Mike) Huguet, Sarah (Taylor Caekaert) Yarlott, Anastasia Frazier, Natasha Frazier, Tatiana Frazier, Mohamed Alhag, Elijah Frazier, Jared Polk, Declan Cleary and Aidan Cleary; sisters-in-law, Susan (Kent) Polk and Carolyn (Patrick) Cleary; and numerous cousins. Paul is preceded in death by his grandparents, William Frazier, Mazie Thompson, Floyd Rudocker and Mildred Farnham; aunts and uncles, Joan Zaleski, Ernestine Frank, Eldred (Audgie) Fast Horse, Mary Morgan, William (Willie) Frazier, and Judy Four Bear. Honorary pallbearers are Gene Small (Lame Deer, Montana), Scott Wilson (Rapid City, South Dakota), and Teretta Taylor (Tucson, Arizona). Burial services will be held in Tucson, Arizona at East Lawn Palms Cemetery on Tuesday, July 12 at 9:30am. Additionally, a celebration of Paul’s life will be held in Sacramento, California during the summer. All expressions of sympathy, including flowers, honorary donations to a favorite charity, and cards are welcome. Flowers can be coordinated through Casa Adobes Flowers in Tucson, Arizona. Paul requested that donation consideration be given to the following organizations: Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Youth Project; St. Joseph’s Indian School, Chamberlain, South Dakota; your local PBS affiliate, National Public Radio; Pancreatic Cancer Network; and UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center