David Richard Fraser

David Richard Fraser, 71, died on April 22 at his home after a brief illness. He was the loving husband and mate of Linda Trafton Fraser. David was born and grew up in Brooklyn, NY. He was the son of Richard Fraser, a New York City fireman, and Regine Larsen Fraser who was a bank teller. David is survived by his sister Diane Hartmann of Long Island, NY her husband Detleff Hartmann and their daughters Anne Deering of New London, PA and Joy Hartmann Dike of Atlanta GA. David’s six grand nieces and nephews brought him great joy. David enlisted in the Navy in 1970 and served on nuclear submarines. After leaving the Navy, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial and Mechanical Engineering from New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury NY. He did graduate studies for an MBA in Finance at Columbia University. When David left the Navy, he was hired by Grumman. There he used skills developed in the Navy and worked on the Apollo II Lunar Landing Module calibrating equipment. David’s name is on a plaque on the moon honoring those who worked on the Apollo II mission. Throughout the 70’s and 80’s, David held Corporate Management and Controller positions within Manufacturing at ITT Grinnell and Dixon Industries. In the late 80’s David transitioned his career to construction management and real estate development. One condominium project in Rhode Island won a national award for its design. In 1993, David flew to Scotland on a blind date to meet Linda. The two married in 1994 and have lived in Amherst. David was committed to learning and growing. His shelves are filled with books and inspirational tapes for life planning and personal and career development. His goals were always written down, and he managed to them. David lived life to its fullest. Friends remember him as a positive person who always had a smile. He travelled the world and was an accomplished blue water sailor and cruiser. He and Linda were truly mates! They spent summers sailing all along the coast of New England and well into Canada, and fulfilled Dave’s goal of sailing off shore and spent five years together on their boat in the Caribbean. David also earned his private pilot license and was an avid scuba diver and skier. Live life to its fullest in peace! Those who knew David knew this to be at the core of his being. David would want to thank all those who traveled with him throughout his full life. At this time we want to thank The Visiting Nurses and Hospice of Manchester for their care and support over the past weeks. Charitable donations may be made to The Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org or to Messiah Lutheran Church Outreach programs. Services will be held at Messiah Lutheran Church, 303 State Route 101 in Amherst, NH 03031 at 11:00 Wednesday April 26 followed by a luncheon provided by The Messiah Lutheran Church, The Amherst Garden Club and The Red Hatters.