Ylia Frazer

Mrs. Ylia Maria Frazer died peacefully in her sleep on October 2, 2013. Her husband of almost sixty years, B. Chalmers Frazer, predeceased her by almost 3 ½ years. She is survived by her children Hallie Mariana Frazer of Berkeley, California, Rowena Saldarriaga Frazer of Birmingham, Alabama and John Chalmers Frazer (Carol) of Lothian, Maryland. Her children were at her bedside for the week leading up to her passing. She is also survived by grandsons Rowen Chalmers Frazer of Brooklyn, New York, Ian Wallace Frazer and Dylan Anderson Frazer, both undergraduate students at the University of Virginia, and Cliff Frazer Wilson (Grace) of Denver, Colorado. She is also survived by granddaughter and namesake Ylia June Wilson of Harlem, New York, and great granddaughter June Monroe Wilson, of Denver Colorado. Mrs. Frazer was one of five children born to parents Marcos Saldarriaga Barreto and Mariana Coronado Saldarriaga in the coastal town of Talara, Peru on November 9, 1924. Upon completing her secondary education in Lima, Peru, Mrs. Frazer worked as a bilingual stenographer for the Banco Minero del Peru (Bank of the Mines) in Lima, Peru, where she developed a friendship with Professor and Mrs. Gauger, who encouraged her to continue her studies in the United States. She emigrated in 1949 and lived with the Gauger family in State College, Pennsylvania, where she enrolled in a part-time course of study and met her Birmingham-born future husband, then a PhD candidate at Penn State University. They were married in 1951. Mrs. Frazer and her husband raised their family in the small Long Island seaside town, Bellport, New York, where Dr. Frazer worked in a dynamic scientific research community. Mrs. Frazer and her husband enjoyed the camaraderie of many international couples as well as travel opportunities to Europe and Latin America. While Mrs. Frazer was a devoted wife and mother, for several years she also worked in the local school system as a Spanish Teacher’s Aide and as a certified Teacher of the Disadvantaged. Using her bilingual skills she also worked with the local Hispanic community as a case manager for the County Department of Social Services. The Frazers later moved to Washington D.C. when Dr. Frazer accepted a senior-level position with the United States government. Mrs. Frazer used this opportunity to complete her Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Gerontology. During this time Mrs. Frazer joined the activities staff at a senior living community. The Frazers subsequently spent eight years of retirement in the coastal community, Fairhope, Alabama, and in 2004 moved to Birmingham, Alabama, where they divided their time between Galleria Woods Retirement Community and a modest cabin on Lay Lake, “La Casita”. Throughout the many phases of their lives, the Frazers remained deeply committed to spending extended holiday periods with family and having their home filled with children and grandchildren whenever possible. Mrs. Frazer was admired as an appreciative, warm, exotic and elegant woman. Towards her family she was unwaveringly loving and determined, direct and pragmatic, deeply religious, and adhered to the highest standards in all endeavors. She loved nothing more than good conversation and family gatherings with fine food, music and dancing. She had an uncommon adventurous spirit and the ability to find goodness in all people. She never lost her accent – or her sense of style – and this only added to the interest with which she was regarded. Mrs. Frazer created a lasting impression on people who met her. Her family will forever hold dear her powerful, loving and uniquely bold spirit. A memorial mass will be held for Mrs. Frazer at 10 AM this Saturday, October 5, at the Galleria Woods Retirement Home Chapel in Hoover.