Charles Paul Frazee
March 4, 1923 – January 8, 2019 Resident of Sunnyvale
On January 8, 2019, Charles Frazee passed away. “Charlie” was 95 years of age and lived a full and interesting life. Charlie’s earliest memories were of growing up on a small ranch and working with his dad and brothers in a firewood business in the hills east of Windsor California. Charlie, his two brothers and his sister all walked to a one room elementary school outside of Windsor. After the hike to school in the morning, Charlie’s job was to build and stoke a wood fire in the school’s stove to heat the classroom every day. Charlie played baseball in high school. His team won the North County Championship in 1937 and Charlie continued to play baseball until graduation in 1941.
The fall of 1941 found Charlie in San Francisco. Charlie worked in a boarding house for room and board as he as he pursued a college engineering curriculum. College was interrupted in late 1942 when Charlie was assigned as a trainee Marine Flight Officer at Cal Poly. Due to sinus and eyesight issues flight training didn’t work out and a year later Charlie found himself in Marine Boot Camp leading to the rank of sergeant in a communications platoon.
The highlight of 1943 was leave to National City and a blind date with a lady named Ruth Sykora. After many leaves to National City for “unknown reasons”, Charlie shipped out to a series of Pacific Islands, the last being part of the attack force on Okinawa in the Spring of 1945.
Charlie was discharged in the spring of 1946 and was lucky enough to convince Ruth to marry him later that same year. They moved to San Francisco where Charlie completed his degree and started designing and installing hydroelectric turbines for the Pelton Company. 15 years later Charlie started employment with FMC in San Jose and he and Ruth moved to their current home in Sunnyvale. Charlie retired 23 years later to enjoy being a gentleman farmer in his back yard, lunches and dominos with friends and being both a member and a handyman at Valley Church.
Recently Charlie was cared for by three loving and caring ladies, Lonilie Alves, Julie Bautista and Josephine Balgos. We thank them for taking such good care of him.
Charlie was preceded in death by his loving wife, Ruth, in 1998 after being married for 53 wonderful years. Charlie is survived by several nieces and nephews, neighbors and friends who all will miss him and who all agree their lives were made richer by knowing him.
Friends are invited to attend a Visitation on Tuesday, January 15, 2019 from 6:00pm-9:00pm at LIMA & CAMPAGNA SUNNYVALE MORTUARY, 1315 Hollenbeck Ave., Sunnyvale. Funeral Service Wednesday, January 16, 2019 at 12:00pm at Valley Church, 10885 N. Stelling Rd., Cupertino. Interment to follow at Los Gatos Memorial Park, San Jose.