Doug Fraser

Doug Fraser, 90

"It pains me to admit it, but apparently I have passed away…" is something that would have been quipped by Doug. Douglas Howard Fraser, 90, passed away Wednesday, September 17, 2025, in his home in Sandpoint, Idaho. He begrudgingly chose to leave this earth on his late second wife's birthday (we suspect she had something to do with it). He was born March 16, 1935, in Glendale, CA, to Howard and Iola (Temple) Fraser.



Recently, Doug celebrated his 90th birthday at the Grand Canyon on a train tour adventure into the park with nearly twenty family members and friends along for the ride. If you haven't heard about the birthday weekend story, ask a family member! His family feels so grateful for his planning and organizing this memorable weekend for us to celebrate his long life with him present.



Doug graduated from Hoover High School in Glendale, CA (class of 1953) where he met and married his first wife, Sandra ("San" Schuetz) in 1955. Doug was known for his love for his dog, Jigs, and his quick smile. As an only child, he found adventure wherever he went. He was known to race his 1939 Ford "chopped and channeled" convertible late on Friday nights on the old River Road, adjacent to the LA River and the famous Forest Lawn Cemetery. One of his oldest friends, Jim Sullivan, said, "My teenage years are inextricably linked with great escapades involving the two of us, particularly those Friday night races. We were always attempting to avoid the eventual flashing red lights of the Glendale police who knew just where we were on Friday nights. As a friend, Doug had that rarest of all qualities: he was both cool and a genuinely good person at the same time. Of course, we rarely let him know that."



While married, he worked in sales, attended college and earned his bachelor's degree in business from Cal State LA. By his own admission, he had a very rewarding occupation in the field of marketing for AVON and later, JAFRA cosmetics. He was known in business for his practical smarts, keen mind and for having an easy rapport with people. Together Doug and San raised four daughters in Sierra Madre, CA, until their divorce in 1977.



Perhaps drawn to the name Sandra, he married Sandra (Smith) Taggart in 1978. Her son and daughter enlarged his family. Doug and Sandra started their marriage on an adventure said to have been based upon a dare by Sandra. He and Sandra traveled throughout Europe for six months on his beloved and still-owned 1975 R90-6 BMW motorcycle that she found, and that they bought 50-50 to fulfill this dare of hers to Doug to do so. After returning from their overseas adventures, the two moved to Umpqua, OR and built their first home from the ground up, while Doug continued in marketing, now self-employed.



They then moved to Washington, and remodeled their second home in Browns Point. In 2004, Doug retired and began a multi-month long commute to oversee the remodel of their forever home in Sandpoint, ID. Their Sandpoint home, the 1903 bright yellow farmhouse on Lake Street with the red metal roof, was featured in the Bonner General Hospital's Annual Holiday Tour of Homes in 2006, and the Bonner County Master Gardeners garden tour in 2008.



Their home was the gathering place where generations knew they'd be welcome with a bowl of ice cream, a good story by Doug, a place to hang. He was a lifelong learner who delighted in a teaching moment, sharing ideas or an article he'd cut out just 'for you'. An avid reader, he enjoyed history and nature. He had a sense of humor and was often spotted on his front porch, ready with a friendly wave, a warm hello, or an invitation to have a seat for a conversation peppered with his wit and wonder of all things.



Doug was a Master Mason in the Lakeside Lodge #42, A.F. & A.M., serving as the treasurer. He was a proud brother for over forty years. In addition, he was an AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteer for over fifteen years and was previously involved with the Teen Center. The family has many memories participating in his various hobbies which included touring on his vintage BMW motorcycle, deep sea and river fly fishing, Sierra backpacking, exploring the National Parks (he was a lifetime member) and around Sandpoint, creative gardening, and the adventure he made out of finding, and then fixing up, the $2.00 bicycles from the police department for each of his grandchildren to use in their visits. For many of us, simply sharing the joy and wonder he'd share of the winter moose passing through his yard that annoyingly ate his carefully pruned apple trees and budding tulips, was a kick.



Most of all, Doug was a proud and loving family man to his blended family of six children, sixteen grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. He was known for remembering milestones in his children's and grandchildren's lives, and never missed an opportunity to tell them how proud he was of them.



He also had a deep love for animals. Two of his beloved dogs were as well known on Lake Street as he was. Choco, and currently Shadow, were his beloved companions. They were often seen lounging in the front yard, or with Doug on his daily walks.



No one fought harder to participate in an active life. The family wishes to thank those that helped Doug in his most recent years. Welcome Home Health Care, the emergency room crews at Bonner Medical Hospital (that he got to know a bit too well). More recently, the infusion nurses at Bonner, who treated him like he was at a spa. Specifically, the family wishes to acknowledge his daughter Janice and grandson Alexander, who shared extended time with Doug these last few years as he kept himself and his family on their toes with an ever changing 'what now' health surprise. We are all thankful for his friend and neighbor, Deb Nance, for her valuable nursing input. Lastly, we thank Drs. Charles Crane and Robert Jenkins; both of whom he had known for over twenty years as his physicians. They provided Doug with good care, thoughtful information and always had a moment beyond the clock to share in a story. Doug loved a good story.



We will all miss him terribly.



A masonic service and a celebration of life will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at the Lakeview Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Better Together Animal Alliance in Sandpoint, or your local PBS station.



Lakeview Funeral Home in Sandpoint is handling the arrangements. Please visit Doug's online memorial at www.lakeviewfuneral.com and sign his guest book.