Frank Graser

Swansboro - Frank Graser, 61, passed away Wednesday, January 7, 2026 at the Crystal Coast Hospice House surrounded by his family. He was born September 25,1964 in Dayton, Ohio. A private celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Frank "Frankie" Graser had a contagious enthusiasm for life and lived on his terms. Frankie grew up on Long Island where he developed a love for the ocean through summers at the beach and the Great South Bay fishing, snorkeling, and boating. Camping trips in the '70 Volkswagen camper were a much-anticipated family activity. As a child and young adult, Frank loved to test boundaries by playfully teasing his big sisters and pushing the limits with friends and co-conspirators (you know who you are).

Frank was a New Yorker. The two decades Frank lived in Manhattan were some of the greatest years of his life and he thoroughly enjoyed the best things the city had to offer: delicious food, bars with Manhattans on tap, incredible people from all over the world, and an occasional drive to Long Island in a revolving door of sports cars. He was fond of gathering family and friends for long dinners and nights out in the city. After leaving Manhattan, Frank and his furry travel companion, Ruby, explored the East Coast before settling down in Charleston, South Carolina which ensured many a trip to see Frank's parents, Marge and Frank, in Swansboro, North Carolina; Dawn and family in East Tennessee; and Kathy and family in Chapel Hill area of North Carolina.

The phrase "life of the party" was coined with Frank in mind and to know Frank was to join the party of life. Frank brought a spark to every day and loved nothing more than spending time with those in his orbit. A day with Frank was filled with laughs, great music, appetizers, and a cocktail or two or three. Besides his go to drinks of Jameson or a Manhattan (the official Graser family cocktail), Frank loved chili cheese Fritos, pretzels, Oreos, mom's chocolate meringue pie, getting breakfast at the local diner, takeout Chinese food, soup dumplings, and of course, the ever-present "Box of Joe" from Dunkin'.

While the length of Frank's life was cut short - he lived the full width. Frank loved to travel and his adventures took him scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, shark cage-diving in South Africa, and everywhere with a beach in Central & South America. Frank was always ready to take a trip at the drop of a hat and enjoyed the thrill of the unknown. He also prioritized spending quality time with his nieces and nephews deservedly earning Uncle Frankie his lifelong "Cool Uncle" status.

In his professional life, Frank founded and ran a successful IT business that combined his love of technology with problem solving. Unfortunately, this also made Frank the go-to 'fix-it' guy in the family. He took joy in repairing his nieces and nephews' cars, showing his sisters how to work their computers, and troubleshooting every piece of technology in his Mom & Dad's home. How Frank had the patience for all of this - we will never know.

Frank is and will always be deeply missed by those that celebrate his life. May Frank inspire all to live with a generous heart, quick wit, and thirst to experience what this world offers.

He is survived by his mother and father, Margaret and Frank X. Graser; sisters, Dawn Moore (Terry) of East Tennessee and Kathy Spinelli (Bob) of North Carolina; his dog Ruby; nephews and nieces: Austin (Sarah), Connor, Paige, Kristen, and Katrina; and a great nephew, Owen.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke. Online condolences can be made at jonesfh.org.