James Frazier

James A. Frazier passed away Tuesday, November 29, 2022 in Lakewood, Colorado due to complications from congestive heart failure. Jim had been in assisted living at Montage Ridge/Green Mt. in Lakewood since the passing of his wife of 64 years - Edith Hester Frazier - in 2017.   He is survived by his sister Bettye Messmer of Nashville TN; his children Jane (Lew) of Richmond, VA, Victoria (Marshall) of Frenchtown, NJ, Jim (Lori) of Lakewood, CO and Mark (Tony & Steve) of Los Angeles; and his cousin Russell Bridges (Dudley) of Washington, DC.  He has 7 beloved grandchildren - Adam (Jillian), Eric, Lauren (Trevor), Kaitlin, Megan, Spencer and Josseline; and 7 great-grandchildren - Josiah, Evangeline, Naomi, Elias, Atlas, Thiago and Lydia. Jim kept close with extended family - his dear nieces and nephews - W. Edward Bailey (Rye, NY), Margaret Newcomb (Palmyra, VA), Edie Hester (Prattville, AL), Jehu Hester (Belgreen, AL), Julie Messmer Lee (Nashville, TN) and son-in-law Ron Payne of Nags Head, NC.

Jim was born August 23, 1929 and was raised in Scottsboro, AL by his parents Arthur C and Rosa Foster Frazier. The family moved to several states with his father’s work while Scottsboro remained “home.” He joined the US Army (how, at 17, is a story to tell) and was stationed in Japan, during the US occupation at the end of WWII, until October 1949.  He then attended Auburn University graduating with a Master of Science Degree in Poultry Husbandry in December 1956.  Jim met the love of his life, Edith Faye Hester, at Auburn Church of Christ. They were married September 12, 1953 and had their daughters, Jane and Victoria, before finishing up their graduate work at Auburn University.

After graduation Jim and Edith moved to upstate New York when Jim took a job in Albany doing research with Sterling Winthrop/Sterling Drug.  They bought an old 1800s farmhouse on 99 acres in East Greenbush and restored it while living in the area where sons Jim and Mark were born. The family lived at their farm until January 1969.  Jim spent the remainder of his career at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington DC where some of his projects reported to Congress on indoor pollutants, airline cabin smoking and the “Decade of the Brain” headed by First Lady Barbara Bush. The family lived in Great Falls, VA where Jim was an active member of the Great Falls Church of Christ, the Blacksmith Guild and the Fairfax County Re-Leaf Society where he was proud of the accomplishments planting trees to help combat climate change. Jim championed saving Washington’s Chesapeake Bay fish and wildlife. He loved tools and had more than most hardware stores. He always had several DIY projects in the works. Jim’s hobbies included woodworking, blacksmithing, gardening and saving the environment.

After retirement Jim and Edith relocated to Powhatan, VA for a number of years living near daughter Jane and her family in Richmond. In later years Jim and Edith moved near their son and daughter-in-law (Jim and Lori) in Lakewood, CO - suburban Denver.

The extended family will celebrate Jim’s life in the Spring at the Hester family’s old home place in Belgreen, AL and will include great nieces and nephew Hunter Clark, Della Garner and Hannah Clark.  Jim’s ashes will be interred next to Edith’s and perhaps some of his ashes will be taken by the wind off Sand Mt near Scottsboro, AL.

Bye Dad ❤️