Obituary for Jack Thomas Fraser
Jack Thomas Fraser of Delta, British Columbia peacefully passed away at Delta View Care Centre on Tuesday, January 2, 2024, at the age of 81 years.
Jack was born on October 29, 1942, in Calgary Alberta to Gertrude Pearl Moffatt and Kenneth James Fraser. Although born in Calgary, Jack spent his youngest years in the tiny town of Carnduff, Saskatchewan where life was hard. The family relocated to Vancouver in the later 1940’s. From a young age, Jack valued hard work, generosity, and family, and was selfless in nature.
Many of Jack’s stories come from growing up as a youngster in the city. Jack loved telling about skipping school in grade one, and having his mom catch him while passing by on the bus. As a young man, he would also bike across the Lions Gate Bridge to deliver telegrams. Jack’s mother Gertrude was the backbone of his family and mainly raised the children on her own. She was a hard worker and Jack was very attached to his mom throughout his life until she passed away in 2007. Every Sunday he would drive to Abbotsford where she lived and spend the day with her.
In 1962, Jack married Renee at the age of 20 and started a family of his own. He went on to have one son named Ron (Ronald), and a daughter named Shelly (Shellan). The family moved to their current house in Delta in the 1978. The house became a central place of community, and the backyard pool was the favorite place for family and friends to hang out together. There are hours of home videos showing the pool full of happy swimmers, and many family photos are from the backyard or deck. Jack spent 40 years caring for the pool although he did not enjoy swimming himself, which speaks to his ethics of hard work and selflessness.
Jack worked for his family throughout his adult life. He provided an above average quality of life for his family due to this hard work. While he had a few jobs along the way, his main career was at Canfor. He was in charge of the train manifests and ensuring that lumber was on the correct CN rail line across North America. He had giant stacks of paper on his desk at the office, and would pore over the data, line by line, everyday. He was known for being the first person at the office and would make the coffee every day without fail. He generally started work at 4:00am as he hated the rush hour traffic. Jack maintained this routine until the day he retired at the age of 65.
As a grandfather, Jack was very involved in the lives of his grandchildren. He was present and contributed to their lives at every important event and juncture. He taught three of his grandchildren how to drive. He also took them skating every Thursday, and on Saturdays, he was at every rainy soccer practice. He was known as “papa” to his grandchildren.
To his family, he was known as the one you could always rely on. He geared his life towards his career and his family. He loved hosting family for dinner and would be at his meticulously kept grill flipping burgers in the summer. The few hobbies he held for himself were playing baseball and hockey, which he played until his early 60s. He enjoyed mowing his lawn and maintaining his backyard pool. He could be found at the end of each day sitting in his chair watching hockey, an old western, or listening to music.
Over the last 10 years of his life, Jack suffered with dementia which led to his death. He was otherwise active and healthy, and enjoyed his walks everyday until the day he moved to a care facility and sustained a broken hip that changed his mobility.
Jack leaves to mourn his loss his wife, Renee Fraser, of Delta, British Columbia. He leaves his brother George Fraser, of Comox, British Columbia. He leaves his two children Ronald (Tracy) Fraser, and Shellan (Roger) Van Eaton of Surrey, British Columbia. He also leaves 4 grandchildren, 3 great granddaughters, 4 nieces, 1 nephew, and other extended family members. Jack was predeceased by his younger siblings Neil Fraser in 1997, and his sister Joan Styles in 2012.
Jack will be missed, but forever remembered and cherished in the hearts of his family and dear friends.
Jack was born on October 29, 1942, in Calgary Alberta to Gertrude Pearl Moffatt and Kenneth James Fraser. Although born in Calgary, Jack spent his youngest years in the tiny town of Carnduff, Saskatchewan where life was hard. The family relocated to Vancouver in the later 1940’s. From a young age, Jack valued hard work, generosity, and family, and was selfless in nature.
Many of Jack’s stories come from growing up as a youngster in the city. Jack loved telling about skipping school in grade one, and having his mom catch him while passing by on the bus. As a young man, he would also bike across the Lions Gate Bridge to deliver telegrams. Jack’s mother Gertrude was the backbone of his family and mainly raised the children on her own. She was a hard worker and Jack was very attached to his mom throughout his life until she passed away in 2007. Every Sunday he would drive to Abbotsford where she lived and spend the day with her.
In 1962, Jack married Renee at the age of 20 and started a family of his own. He went on to have one son named Ron (Ronald), and a daughter named Shelly (Shellan). The family moved to their current house in Delta in the 1978. The house became a central place of community, and the backyard pool was the favorite place for family and friends to hang out together. There are hours of home videos showing the pool full of happy swimmers, and many family photos are from the backyard or deck. Jack spent 40 years caring for the pool although he did not enjoy swimming himself, which speaks to his ethics of hard work and selflessness.
Jack worked for his family throughout his adult life. He provided an above average quality of life for his family due to this hard work. While he had a few jobs along the way, his main career was at Canfor. He was in charge of the train manifests and ensuring that lumber was on the correct CN rail line across North America. He had giant stacks of paper on his desk at the office, and would pore over the data, line by line, everyday. He was known for being the first person at the office and would make the coffee every day without fail. He generally started work at 4:00am as he hated the rush hour traffic. Jack maintained this routine until the day he retired at the age of 65.
As a grandfather, Jack was very involved in the lives of his grandchildren. He was present and contributed to their lives at every important event and juncture. He taught three of his grandchildren how to drive. He also took them skating every Thursday, and on Saturdays, he was at every rainy soccer practice. He was known as “papa” to his grandchildren.
To his family, he was known as the one you could always rely on. He geared his life towards his career and his family. He loved hosting family for dinner and would be at his meticulously kept grill flipping burgers in the summer. The few hobbies he held for himself were playing baseball and hockey, which he played until his early 60s. He enjoyed mowing his lawn and maintaining his backyard pool. He could be found at the end of each day sitting in his chair watching hockey, an old western, or listening to music.
Over the last 10 years of his life, Jack suffered with dementia which led to his death. He was otherwise active and healthy, and enjoyed his walks everyday until the day he moved to a care facility and sustained a broken hip that changed his mobility.
Jack leaves to mourn his loss his wife, Renee Fraser, of Delta, British Columbia. He leaves his brother George Fraser, of Comox, British Columbia. He leaves his two children Ronald (Tracy) Fraser, and Shellan (Roger) Van Eaton of Surrey, British Columbia. He also leaves 4 grandchildren, 3 great granddaughters, 4 nieces, 1 nephew, and other extended family members. Jack was predeceased by his younger siblings Neil Fraser in 1997, and his sister Joan Styles in 2012.
Jack will be missed, but forever remembered and cherished in the hearts of his family and dear friends.