Father Joseph Hugh Frazer, a Catholic priest for 37 years, died Feb. 9, 2021, in Penney Farms, Florida at the age of 88. He was born on May 1, 1932, in Buffalo, New York to Dr. Joseph H. Frazer and Lenore Leatherbury Frazer. Father Frazer attended St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Delaware, earned a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Johns Hopkins University, a M.Div. from Yale/Berkeley, and a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University. He was ordained to ministry in the Episcopal Church in June 1956, the same month in which he married Georgia McWhorter of Odessa, Delaware.
After serving as an Episcopal priest for 27 years in Fort Worth, Dallas, Oak Cliff, Brenham and Bryan, Father Frazer was ordained a Roman Catholic priest for the Diocese of Austin on Feb. 25, 1984, by Bishop Vincent M. Harris at St. Mary Cathedral in Austin. He served in Austin, TX as principal of St. Mary Cathedral School, chaplain at Brackenridge Hospital, pastor of St. Margaret of Scotland (Anglican Use) Parish, chaplain at St. Michael’s Catholic Academy, and in Franklin, as pastor at St. Francis of Assisi Parish. Father Frazer retired in July 2004 and moved with his wife to Penney Farms, FL in 2005.
Father Frazer was preceded in death by his parents and daughter, Valerie Lenore. He is survived by his wife Georgia and daughters Mary Orsted, Hilary (Henry) Abeger, Georgia (Mike) Clarke, grandchildren John Orsted, Caleb Boberg, Nils Boberg,and Jeremy Boberg; brother and sister-in-law Purnal “Judge” and Pat McWhorter; and niece Sarah and nephew Dan (Candace) McWhorter.
A memorial service was held Feb. 20 at Sacred Heart Catholic Mission Church in Green Cove Springs, Florida.