Mt. Pleasant business owner known for his generosity

Whether he was picking up groceries for a neighbor or making a cup of coffee for the mail carrier, Donald Frazier was always doing favors for others.

“One time I was between jobs, he had his own construction company, and he gave me work when I needed it,” said his brother-in-law, William Frick.

Donald Frazier of Mt. Pleasant died of heart failure Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017, at UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh. He was 61.

“He would give you the shirt off his back. Even if it was the only one that he had, he would give it to you,” said his son, Jason Frazier.

Mr. Frazier was born in Connellsville. He founded Frazier Construction Co. and worked as a contractor.

“He was probably the strongest man I ever met,” his brother-in-law said. “When we did rooftops, he’d carry all the shingles up himself.”

Mr. Frazier had to retire early when he developed congestive heart failure about nine years ago, but that didn’t stop him from volunteering and helping others, said his wife, Lisa Frazier.

“Whenever anybody needed him, he was just good-hearted like that. Even whenever he had his oxygen, when my neighbor needed something, he would go to the grocery store and get it for them,” she said.

A member of Transfiguration of Our Lord Polish National Catholic Church in Mt. Pleasant, Mr. Frazier enjoyed making pierogi for church events. He was a volunteer with the American Red Cross.

During his free time, he often attended car shows, where he would show off his 1979 Mercury Cougar. He loved spending time with his wife, his grandson, Chase, and his dog, Maggie.

“He always kept me going,” his wife said. “He was my best friend.”

His kindness and work ethic were inspiring, his son said.

“That’s what I learned from my dad — doing the best you can and doing what you can do to make ends meet,” Jason Frazier said.

He was preceded in death by his father, Donald E. Frazier.

He is survived by his mother, Dolores Nicholson Frazier; wife, Lisa Sofranko Frazier; son Jason Frazier and his wife, Maria; and grandson, Chase.

Family and friends will be received 2 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Galone-Caruso Funeral Home, 204 Eagle St., Mt. Pleasant. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Thursday in Transfiguration of Our Lord Polish National Catholic Church, 353 Bridgeport St., Mt. Pleasant. Interment will follow at the Transfiguration Parish Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to Transfiguration of Our Lord Polish National Catholic Church, in memory of Donald Frazier, or to the family.

Jacob Tierney is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-836-6646 or jtierney@tribweb.com.