John M. Fraser 1916-2009

The following may be of interest to readers of the Telecom Digest.

- Jane M. Fraser

John M. Fraser, 92, died in his sleep March 2, 2009, in San Diego, CA. Mr. Fraser was born in Glasgow, Scotland, grew up in Brooklyn, NY, and resided in Whippany, NJ; Brielle, NJ; Rancho Palos Verdes, CA; Ramona, CA; and San Diego, CA.

Mr. Fraser graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School and received his Bachelor's of Electrical Engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. He was a member of Eta Kappa Nu, Sigma Xi, and Tau Beta Pi.

Mr. Fraser was employed for 39 years by Bell Telephone Laboratories, where he was involved in many systems engineering projects including the first transatlantic telephone cable, TAT-1, and one of the earliest speech compression systems, TASI. He then joined Hughes Aircraft, where, as Chief Scientist, he was the chief architect of the Indonesian satellite system, Palapa. He represented AT&T and subsequently Hughes at CCITT, the international body that establishes standards for communication systems.

Mr. Fraser believed strongly in giving more than taxes to the communities in which he lived. In Whippany, NJ, he served as chair of the planning board, member of the Hanover Township Governing Board, and mayor. In Brielle, NJ, he served as chair of the planning board and member of the Borough Governing Council. In Ramona, CA, he served as chair of the Environmental Control Committee of San Diego Country Estates. In San Diego, CA, he was the first president of the Meridian Residential Association.

Mr. Fraser is survived by his wife, Helen E. Fraser of San Diego and his daughter Jane M. Fraser, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Engineering at Colorado State University-Pueblo (and her partner Mark A. Weber). He was predeceased by his first wife, Jean C. Fraser, and his daughter Carol Fraser Fisk, who served as the US Commissioner on Aging during the Reagan administration. He had recently completed his autobiography, Muddling Through.

According to his wishes, he was cremated and there will be no service. Donations may be sent to the John M. Fraser Engineering Scholarship, Colorado State University-Pueblo, 2200 Bonforte Blvd., Pueblo, CO,

81001.
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Jane Fraser
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