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| Michael Frazer in his Army uniform. |
Some of my fondest memories as a student at Bishop Lynch High School in Dallas between 1984 and 1988 took place throughout much of my junior year whenever fellow classmate Michael Frazier was around. I recalled those moments a lot the past few days upon hearing through former classmates on Facebook that Mike had unexpectedly passed away March 11, 2015, following a brief illness at 45, leaving behind his wife of 25 years, Wendy, his son, Matt, two daughters, Monica and Katie, their two dogs, Vader and Woody, and hundreds of friends and family.
I had the pleasure of getting to know Mike in my geometry, religion classes and study hall. For me to call him the class clown would be wrong as he was far from it. True he always joked in class, but it was never to so much to draw attention to himself as it was to make everyone around him laugh.
Mike had me in stitches in study hall when he started talking like Elvis Presley sometimes singing one of the King’s songs. He would often times talk like an old man in a gruff voice that literally made him sound like he was in his 80s. If I made some smart aleck comment to him, he’d go into his “old man” routine telling me “Shut up you ol’whippersnapper! I’ll take you in the back room and bust you up!”
There were a couple times because he made me laugh in class where I’d get into trouble as a result. One day during ethics class, Mike just sat there on one end of the room giving me the evil eye (with one eyebrow raised). My ethics teacher, Mr. Poundstone, stopped class to ask me what my problem was. I had no choice but to say Mike’s giving me the evil stare.
Other times during ethics class Mike would become the “old man” again which would annoy Mr. Poundstone where when the class was silent, he’d yell out loud to another fellow classmate named Diedra Brown and say, “How you doin there, Diedra!” Mr. Poundstone’s disapproving look to Mike was priceless; as though he was saying “Why don’t you people grow up?”
Other times, Mike offered religious commentary when the time warranted it. When I questioned how when it comes to giving up things for Lent last month that decision is supposed to be between the person and God and not to be shared via social networking, he responded back to me writing, “I like to think those making such announcements are making themselves accountable to the public. Like me giving up the…LOL.”
“Just posting for practicing Catholics on my feed,” Mike wrote. “I believe the priest said that pain should be managed though and cost isn't really the issue either. Its a slippery slope from presuming what's best for the ill and what is best for the person watching or who gets to decide."
There is a part of me writing this column at hearing of Mike’s sudden passing that wants to express anger at God at having him been taken away from everyone too soon.
I know, however, that he wouldn’t want me to express any negative feelings of why God called him home but to instead recall the happier times.
Farewell Mike, I am glad to have known you. Thank you for making me laugh and anyone who knows me personally knows how hard it is for them to get me to do that.
©3/12/15
I had the pleasure of getting to know Mike in my geometry, religion classes and study hall. For me to call him the class clown would be wrong as he was far from it. True he always joked in class, but it was never to so much to draw attention to himself as it was to make everyone around him laugh.
Mike had me in stitches in study hall when he started talking like Elvis Presley sometimes singing one of the King’s songs. He would often times talk like an old man in a gruff voice that literally made him sound like he was in his 80s. If I made some smart aleck comment to him, he’d go into his “old man” routine telling me “Shut up you ol’whippersnapper! I’ll take you in the back room and bust you up!”
I know those of you reading this cannot understand why I found his antics so funny as the only way you would know is if you heard him in that voice. One time during geometry class when teacher Mrs. Clark asked him what he was doing, he told her, “I am my fellow student’s helping hand.” Then he started singing, “Lean on me. When you are not strong and I’ll be your friend.” Even when Mike upset me, which was only once, my anger at him lasted just a couple minutes as in the time he sprayed blue ink all over my BL uniform only to find the ink disappeared within seconds. Mike laughed telling me it was invisible ink.I wasn’t at all surprised given how tall he was (six feet I think) and how built he was like a football player to learn when I connected with him on Facebook a few years back that he enlisted in the Army shortly upon graduating from North Garland High School and was honorably discharged in 1995. I remember upon my loaning him my copy of the 1983 military cadet film, "The Lords of Discipline," in high school, Mike told me his favorite character was Dante Pignetti, a tall bulky balding cadet played by Rick Rossovich who enjoyed kicking ass. It was because of that “old man” voice he did that I did not so much call him “Pignetti” as I did “The Godfather” though I’ll never know if he was able to mimic Marlon Brando’s mumbling voice.
There were a couple times because he made me laugh in class where I’d get into trouble as a result. One day during ethics class, Mike just sat there on one end of the room giving me the evil eye (with one eyebrow raised). My ethics teacher, Mr. Poundstone, stopped class to ask me what my problem was. I had no choice but to say Mike’s giving me the evil stare.
Other times during ethics class Mike would become the “old man” again which would annoy Mr. Poundstone where when the class was silent, he’d yell out loud to another fellow classmate named Diedra Brown and say, “How you doin there, Diedra!” Mr. Poundstone’s disapproving look to Mike was priceless; as though he was saying “Why don’t you people grow up?”
Regrettably the last time I saw Mike was during a BL football game as he didn’t graduate with us senior year in 1988. Upon my seeing him again that night, the first word he said to me was “Joseph!” The only one who calls me that is my mom and that’s when she gets pissed, other than calling me, “Joey”, which I also get ribbed about by friends who hear her say it.My only contact with Mike in recent years was through Facebook. Every once in a while, he often clicked on the “like” option whenever I posted stuff he agreed with me on. I’m finding there is a lot you can learn about someone by just browsing through one’s Facebook posts. I could tell he was a Star Wars fan. When he posted the teaser trailer for "Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens" (2015) on Facebook last November, Mike wrote “I am unashamed and giddy to repost this. Reminds me of spending our 20-dollar vacation allowance on action figures. Of course, my Darth could fly. He had a cape.”
Other times, Mike offered religious commentary when the time warranted it. When I questioned how when it comes to giving up things for Lent last month that decision is supposed to be between the person and God and not to be shared via social networking, he responded back to me writing, “I like to think those making such announcements are making themselves accountable to the public. Like me giving up the…LOL.”
When I posted a picture in July 2012 of what was believed to be an Angel hovering above the movie theater in Aurora, Colorado at a memorial service for the victims killed by mass shooter James Holmes, Mike replied to my post saying, “I believe there are Angels, and they are with us. It is not outside the Lord’s preview to perform miracles. I don’t believe this is an Angel any more than that picture of the twin towers had Satan’s face in the smoke after the planes hit. Angels are spirits, not clouds. If they were going to appear to anyone, why would they be veiled in a cloud?”The most recent discussion, which caused differing perspectives on Facebook among former classmates was the subject of terminally ill patient Brittany Maynard’s decision to commit suicide last November when Mike posted a video from Fr. I. J. Menezes about Euthanasia.
“Just posting for practicing Catholics on my feed,” Mike wrote. “I believe the priest said that pain should be managed though and cost isn't really the issue either. Its a slippery slope from presuming what's best for the ill and what is best for the person watching or who gets to decide."
There is a part of me writing this column at hearing of Mike’s sudden passing that wants to express anger at God at having him been taken away from everyone too soon.
I know, however, that he wouldn’t want me to express any negative feelings of why God called him home but to instead recall the happier times.
Farewell Mike, I am glad to have known you. Thank you for making me laugh and anyone who knows me personally knows how hard it is for them to get me to do that.
©3/12/15
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