Robert Fraser

Robert Arnold Fraser, age 87, died peacefully on Friday, February 22, at Capital Manor in Salem. He was born August 27, 1925, in Salem, Oregon to Robert Angus and Ethel (Hall) Fraser. When he was five he moved to Albany, Oregon with his parents and his brother William. He graduated from Albany High School in 1942 and, at age 17, joined the Navy. Known as Arnold to his family and Bob to most other people, he was proud of his service in the Navy as a signalman on the USS Buckeye (AN-13) during WWII. Following the war, Bob was hired as a lineman for Pacific Northwest Bell Telephone Company in Corvallis where he worked for 38 years, retiring from U.S. West as a PBX installer in 1982. Shortly after the war Bob met Ina Claire Stanley from Corvallis. They married in 1947. After retiring, Bob volunteered at Good Samaritan Hospital for 20 years and he and Ina monitored bluebird boxes in the Corvallis area for the Audubon Society. Bob’s hobbies included gardening, bird watching, camping and fishing and he took special pleasure in teaching not only his children but also his nieces, nephews and grandchildren the fine arts of fishing and outdoorsmanship. For many years he was active with Troop 2 in the Oregon Trail Council of scouting. Bob was also known far and wide for his ability to fix anything. Together with Ina he visited all 50 states and traveled abroad during many happy years of retirement. Two of their favorite vacations were a hiking tour of the Scottish Highlands and a cruise through the Panama Canal. Bob had a lifelong love of music and played the drums for the Corvallis Community Band for more than 26 years. Known as Drummer Bob, he continued to bring joy to family and friends with his drumming until the very end of his life. Bob is survived by his wife of 66 years, Ina; sons, David (Diane), and Douglas (Holly); daughter Deborah (Pete) Helsell; grandchildren Lincoln (Meagan) Gable, Dylan, Megan and Andrew Fraser. Bob’s memorial service will be Friday, March 1, at 2 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Corvallis. The family would like to extend gratitude to the staff at Capital Manor, specifically those in Memory Care, for their attentiveness and loving care. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Bob’s name to the Audubon Society of Corvallis. Husband, father, grandfather (Boppa), uncle, friend, Robert, Bob, Arnold and Arnold-Bob: he was loved and will be greatly missed.

Tributes

Robert Fraser

August 27, 1925 - February 22, 2013