Irene Fraser, of St. Thomas Virgin Islands, passed away on Saturday, Nov. 23 in Abington, Pennsylvania. She was the wife of Austin Fraser.
She was born on April 5, 1941 in Pleasant Valley, Tortola, British Virgin Islands, and was the 10th of 12 children born to Eglantine (Matthias) Mactavious and Abraham Mactavious.
Irene immigrated to St. Thomas in the early 1960’s, initially serving as a domestic worker in private residences. She later worked at various hotels, then at two fabric factories, followed by cashier positions at several food stores, including Pueblo Supermarkets. She remained at Pueblo for more than 20 years and served in various other capacities there, including deli manager, eventually working her way up to a store manager. She was a treasured mentor and friend to many employees and customers during her years at Pueblo.
She was a member of Wesley Methodist Church since its founding in 1967 and she served in many capacities there, including class leader, choir member, president of the Women’s League and Synod host. After her retirement, she was a staple hand in the church’s soup kitchen.
Dating back to her time in the deli at Pueblo’s Long Bay, she became known for her cooking skills and she built a loyal clientele. Not only did people flock to the deli for her food, but she also separately filled special requests. Even after her retirement, she cooked and baked for friends, family and clients. Tarts were among her many specialties, and she was often asked to bake tarts for customers to ship far and wide to their loved ones. She enjoyed trying new foods and incorporating new things into her repertoire.
Among other hobbies, she was an avid gardener. Acquiring and nurturing plants was real passion. Her cultivation included local and exotic ornamental plants as well as fruits and vegetables, and she happily shared her bounty with neighbors and others. In a local television news story, she was dubbed “the plants lady.”
Besides her husband, she is survived by four children: Ira Mactavious (Lesa Henry Mactavious) of St. Thomas, Brenda Fraser (Gregory Martino) of Wyndmoor, PA, Austin Andrew Fraser (Alessondra Hawkins-Fraser) of Elkins Park, PA, and Bryan Fraser (Shavern Paul Fraser) of Huntingdon Valley, PA, 15 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren, and one great great grandchild. She was predeceased by her son Lucien and all of her siblings.
Her funeral will be held on Friday, Dec. 20, viewing hours will be from 9:00AM to 10 a.m. Service 10 a.m. at Wesley Methodist Church, Anna’s Retreat, St. Thomas. Burial will be at Eastern Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to Wesley Methodist Church or to Wesley Methodist Church with a designation for the Wesley Soup Kitchen. Funeral arrangement by Turnbull’s Funeral Home and Crematory Service.
