William Frazer

William Ward Frazer, known as Bill, was a proud American patriot and a direct descendent of George Wilkin, a native of Wallkill, NY, who fought and died in the American Revolutionary War. Mr. Wilkin's 4th great-grandson, Bill, was born on May 27, 1929, in Binghamton, NY, to Warren Walker Frazer and Florence Ward Frazer. He grew up in Endicott, NY and graduated from Union Endicott High School.

Although Bill was too young to serve in WWII, watching his father reenlist in the Navy, because "his country needed him" after already having served in WWI, inspired his lifelong admiration for military service. At his earliest opportunity at age 17, Bill enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps, then a branch of the U.S. Army. By the time his three-year term of honorable service ended, the Army Air Corps had become the U.S. Air Force, so Bill had the unique distinction of enlisting in one branch of the armed forces and being discharged from another.

After training in Texas and Washington, Bill was assigned to the 46th Fighter Wing in Guam. Officially a clerk-typist, his favorite memories of his time overseas involved his travels throughout the Pacific as an ace pitcher for the Sunsetters, the all-star team that represented Guam in the Far East Air Force Baseball League. On one of their stops in Japan, his team clinched the 1948 League Championship.

After being discharged, Bill returned to the Northeast and enrolled in Lebanon Valley College in Annville Pennsylvania at the encouragement of his best friend from Endicott, Charlie Harris, who was attending the school on a football scholarship.

During summers in college Bill took advantage of his pitching skills to earn extra money playing minor league baseball. After a standout season with the independent Moultrie To-baks in the Georgia-Florida League, the next year he played closer to home with the Harrisburg (PA) Senators, a farm team of the Philadelphia (later Oakland) Athletics.

A notable incident involving the Senators took place in 1952, when the team president signed a female player, Eleanor Engle, to the roster as a short-lived publicity stunt. That made Ms. Engle the first woman to sign a contract to play affiliated professional baseball, causing outrage throughout the sport. She suited up, the manager refused to play her, and the next day females were banned from organized baseball.. A newspaper article about the incident was accompanied by a photo of Ms. Engle sitting in the dugout apart from her male teammates. In the photo, Bill was clearly visible as he stood awaiting his turn at bat. Years later when that photo was featured in a display honoring "Women in Baseball" at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, it allowed Bill to somewhat truthfully brag that his picture was in the Hall of Fame!

Also while attending Lebanon Valley College, Bill met and married his first wife, Muriel Ludwick, with whom he had two children, Vicki and Scott. They first lived in Bill's home town of Endicott, where Bill began his 33 year career with IBM, and later moved to Wheaton, MD.

After Bill's first marriage ended in divorce he married Shirley Gorick, with whom he had another son, Warren, and another daughter, Christine. His work with IBM, which he joked stood for, "I've Been Moved," took the family from Shirley's home town of Akron, OH, to San Diego, CA, Boca Raton, FL, and finally Atlanta, GA, where Bill retired from his full-time position in 1988 but continued doing consulting work for the company for a few more years.

During his years at IBM, one of the world's foremost corporations that grew steadily throughout his career, Bill facilitated reliable customer assurance and relations between the company and some of its biggest commercial, educational and military clients as those organizations adapted to the computer age. He was instrumental in designing a program that allowed IBM employees to purchase company stock at a discount through payroll productions. While in Boca Raton he also had involvement in IBM's introduction of the first home personal computers and establishment of the "IBM PC" format in the 1980's.

After retirement, Bill and Shirley moved back to Akron, OH, to be near family, friends and Bill's new grandson, Brodie Jernigan, from his daughter, Vicki. His retired status gave him plenty of time to pursue his lifelong weekend pastime, golf, and he enjoyed playing in Akron's "Sweet Singing Seniors" golf league for years.

After spending many winters in rented homes near Shirley's relocated extended family in Clearwater, FL, in 2014 Bill and Shirley moved to that area full time. They realized a retirement dream of Bill's when they bought and remodeled a golf course villa with beautiful, sweeping views of the adjoining Highland Lakes Country Club in Palm Harbor, FL.

Bill's favorite days at Highland Lakes were spent golfing with his buddies in the "Over the Hill League," or relaxing in a backyard chair while giving helpful tips and coaching to passing players on their swings or putts. Over the course of his amateur golfing career he celebrated many league championships and landed four holes-in-one in four different states.

Aside from golf, Bill was also passionate about drum & bugle corps, marching bands, the Brooklyn (and later L.A.) Dodgers, the Fair Tax proposal to eliminate the IRS and ensuring that his Florida yard remained free of ugly dead palm leaves by trimming them himself (well into his 90's).

Bill's enjoyment of marching band music started in his school days, and as an adult he was a co-founder of the Vagabonds Drum Corps in Endicott, NY. He also played bugle with the Yankee Rebels Drum Corps in Baltimore in 1960 and drums with the Washington Redskins Marching Band in 1961-63. Never content to keep his love of drum corps music to himself, he loved blasting it from his car stereo with the windows down so all the neighbors could enjoy it, too.

Bill was also a fan of going to the racetrack, strawberry sundaes, Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and lengthy conversations with friends and neighbors as well as complete strangers. That included fellow diners at one of his favorite spots in Palm Harbor, the Lucky Dill Deli, where he laid claim to his own parking spot designated for, "Brooklyn Dodger Fans Only."

Bill had some struggles adapting after the passing of his wife Shirley in December, 2021, so in 2023 he moved to Cardinal Retirement Village in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio to be near the watchful care of his daughters Vicki and Christine. There he met his lady friend, Jackie Ebner, and enjoyed her companionship for his last 1 ½ years.

After 95 years of relatively excellent health, a sudden but non-traumatic downturn led Bill to the hospital, and then to Justin T. Roger Hospice where, with drum corps music playing loudly (his request), the old ball player rounded third base and slid into home on September 3, 2024.

Bill was preceded in death by his second wife Shirley (Gorick) Frazer, first wife Muriel R House, sister Nance Sheridan, son William Scott Frazer and, nearly all of his lifelong friends.

He is survived by his son Warren Frazer of Florida, his daughters Vicki Lynn Frazer, Christine Frazer and grandson Brodie L Jernigan, all of Ohio.