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Douglas Lloyd Fraser was born at the Calgary General Hospital on April 7, 1933. His parents told him that his Mom, Bernice, went into labour during a spring snowstorm.
His Dad, Lloyd, drove Bernice to the hospital from their home northeast of Calgary in a horse-drawn wagon. They found a place to tie up the team of horses in what is now downtown Calgary and went into the hospital. Two younger sisters, Evelyn and Margaret, were born after Doug.
By the time Doug was six, his parents gave him a little horse named Tarzan who was his transportation to his country school for the next nine years. Tarzan would reliably dump Doug in the ditch until Lloyd came and got them both back on the road to school again. The one-room schoolhouse had a stable nearby and the kids who got to school early enough would have a spot for their horse inside. As Doug grew, he became the school caretaker, which was a paid position that included lighting the stove to heat the school before everyone else arrived! Hoeing the garden at home and milking three cows were other chores that belonged to Doug. He was a strong, tall, thin farm boy with an already-impressive skillset, at least by today’s standards!
After graduating from high school in Okotoks, Doug studied chemistry at SAIT. He became a chemist! His jobs included a variety of sales, including encyclopedias and vacuum cleaners, co-owning a corner store in Acadia, working in dry cleaning, and eventually in chemicals.
Doug married his high school girlfriend, Norma, in 1953, and they had two children – Murray in 1958 and Laurie in 1960. Doug and Norma shared a love for gardening and had a beautiful yard in their neighbourhood of Fairview, Calgary. Doug got a kick out of getting his kids four pet chickens, which they tamed, played with and loved. Urban farmers!?
You can take the boy outta the farm, but…, Doug’s marriage to Norma ended in the mid-1970s and he married a second time in 1978 to Marge, who had a son, Brad.
Doug’s business skills began to blossom and flourish after he started Galvanic Analytical Systems in 1974. The company specialized in instrumentation and gas detection and, at one point, Doug’s company had a payroll that included 45 people! There was a family atmosphere at the company and many of the staff stayed on for years. Doug was an entrepreneur who had lots of ideas and cultivated a wide network of friends and connections. He seemed pretty outgoing for someone who claimed he was shy as a boy.
After the death of both of Doug’s dear parents, Doug and Marge moved back to the farm that he and his sisters had grown up on. He had a vision that included planting trees, building a herd of purebred Hereford cattle and all the infrastructure necessary for this endeavour. Doug and Margie enjoyed over 20 years together on the farm and were also frequent globetrotters!
After Marg passed away in 2011, Doug remained on the farm on his own until 2018. He then moved into Okotoks, where he was closer to friends who he would often meet for meals and lively conversation. He still enjoyed volunteering with the Rotary Club, which included he and his buddy, Mr. Al King, delivering dictionaries to school classrooms annually.
In 2020 Doug needed more support and so moved to Cochrane to be closer to his daughter and son-in-law, who enjoyed the last three years with him immensely.
Doug made a lot of big adjustments and had several serious health challenges in his final years, but he took them all on without complaining or too much ado, and rarely looked over his shoulder. Once Doug made a decision, he knew how to carry it through. Six days before his passing, Doug, made a very determined effort to attend his 90th birthday party, which included seeing two treasured friends, being beautifully serenaded, and a lobster feast with some of his family. He passed peacefully into heaven on Friday evening, April 14th.
He will be missed by many whose life he impacted and who remember him well and cared deeply for him.
Doug is proudly survived by:
His son Murray, his son Jay, daughters Kim (& Dan, Isla & Romee), Cassidy (& Ethan, Adelaide &Thomas), Tanis (& Kody, Berlynn, Lukah & Cyprus) and Jacqueline.
His daughter Laurie and her husband, Will, their daughters Claire (& Adam, Kaia & Cohen) and Emma (& Cory).
His stepson, Brad and his wife, Debbie, daughter Meaghan (& Tarek & Leo) and son, Matthew.
Three kids, nine grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren!!
A short grave-side service will be held on May 5, 2023, at 11:30 at Pine Creek Cemetery, followed by at Memorial Service at 1:00 on May 5, 2023, at the Foothills Centennial Centre. Refreshments to follow. If you wish to make a donation in memory of Doug, please send cheques payable to “Nakoda Food Bank”, c/o Box 1305, Cochrane, AB, T4C 1B3.’
Arrangements in care of Snodgrass Funeral Homes, Okotoks. Ph. 403-938-3111.
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April 7 1933
April 14 2023
Death notice for the town of: Okotoks, Province: Alberta
death notice Douglas Doug Lloyd Fraser April 7 1933
April 14 2023
obituaries notice Douglas Doug Lloyd Fraser April 7 1933
April 14 2023
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Douglas Doug Lloyd Fraser April 7 1933
April 14 2023 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
