Tributes

Beneath his quiet exterior, Ervin Frazier was a wise, multifaceted man who was dedicated to his family, faithful to God, and loved serving others. Ervin was born in Marietta, Oklahoma, the youngest of the late Otto S. Frazier and Eunice Morgan Frazier’s eight children. He graduated from Marietta High School and earned a degree in chemical engineering from Oklahoma State University. While he spent most of his professional life in the petroleum industry, he had some interesting business detours along the way, including owning a beauty shop. When Ervin was a youngster, he discovered that you could buy a $25 savings bond for $12.50. He saved the money he earned from sweeping at the local barbershop to buy his first bond. That led to a lifelong interest in investing and finance. In the early 1990s, Ervin would occasionally join some of the men he worked with when they went to the library on their lunch hour. He said that they wanted to check out books, but he wanted to check out the librarians—and that’s where he met Lynn. When Ervin and Lynn first married, they lived on ten acres in Weatherford, Texas, where they kept sheep to “mow” the grass and donkeys to protect the sheep from coyotes—and because Ervin always wanted a donkey. Ervin and Lynn moved from Texas to Florida in 2004 to be close to Lynn’s parents. Shortly after that, they began taking ballroom dance lessons. Even though Ervin could barely hear the beat of the music (Lynn had to count the rhythm to him), they danced together regularly for the rest of his life. Ervin also enjoyed working in the yard and caring for their landscape because it was so much easier to grow things in Florida than it was in Texas. Ervin’s parents died when he was young, and he loved being a part of Lynn’s family. He was a wonderful son-in-law to her parents and friend to her adult children, and he absolutely loved being a grandfather. After they retired, Ervin and Lynn traveled the world, visiting Europe, Russia, China, Croatia, South America, Zambia, South Africa, Galapagos Islands, and more. They enjoyed seeing new places, learning new things, trying new foods, and sharing the stories of their adventures—like when they were chased by elephants in Africa. Ervin’s generosity extended far beyond material gifts. He donated a kidney to one of his brothers, which extended the brother’s life about 20 years and allowed him to see his children grow up and to meet his grandchildren. Ervin and Lynn have been faithful members of Tuskawilla Presbyterian Church since 2005. Ervin was one of the founding members of the Band of Brothers, a men’s Bible study group. He also gave countless hours as a Meals on Wheels volunteer. In addition to his devoted wife of almost 30 years, Marilyn “Lynn” Frazier, Ervin is survived by his stepdaughter Amy Seymour (Jeff Haney), stepson Michael Seymour (Ashley), and grandchildren Isaac Haney and Olive Seymour. Ervin has been laid to rest at Morgan’s Rest Cemetery in Love County, Oklahoma. A celebration of Ervin’s life will be held Saturday, April 13, 2 p.m., Tuskawilla Presbyterian Church, 3600 Aloma Ave., Oviedo. A reception will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Meals on Wheels, Etc., of Seminole County, Florida (www.mealsetc.org), in Ervin’s honor.

Tributes

Arthur Ervin Frazier

May 23, 1941 - March 20, 2024