William Clifford Frase

FRASE, WILLIAM (BILL) CLIFFORD, 90, owner of W.C. Frase Aquatic Gardens, died Friday, May 9, 2003 in Orlando, FL. Bill was born July 3, 1912 in Newark, NJ, to Ella Maude Moses Frase and Edward Frase. After joining the United States Air Force, he was stationed in Orlando during WWII, testing and researching insect-related diseases. In 1944 he married Laura Meyer of Orlando and settled there, where he owned and operated a water gardening and landscape business. Bill's pioneering work with water lilies resulted in more than a dozen new hybrids, including several that he named for family members and friends. His impact on the water gardening field made him internationally respected as an expert and mentor. People traveled from around the world to visit him and he was the subject of numerous articles. In recognition for his lifetime of contributions, William Frase was inducted into the International Waterlily & Water Gardening Society's Hall of Fame in 1998. Bill is survived by wife, Laura Frase, of Orlando, FL; son, Charles (Chappy) Frase of Morristown, NJ; daughter, Enid Frase of Orlando, FL; and a host of close friends from around the US and the globe. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister, Carlin Bertelson. Friends are invited to a luncheon at Reeves Memorial United Methodist Church, 1100 N. Ferncreek Ave., at noon on Sunday, May 18, 2003. It will be followed by a memorial service to celebrate Bill's very full life. Donations may be made to the William Frase Memorial Fund of the International Waterlily & Water Gardening Society or to the Reeves Memorial UMC Memorial Fund. Funeral arrangements will be handled Family Funeral Care at Hunter's Creek, 130001 S. John Young Pkwy., Orlando (407) 812-4200.