Obituary: Richard Fraser (1950-2026)

Richard Fraser passed away on June 11, 2026, at 76 years of age in Douglas, Alaska.

He was born on March 27, 1950, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. His birth mother, Josephine Beegle, passed a year later and he was adopted by her sister, LaVerne Laing. The two moved to the United States and lived in Texas, Virginia, New Jersey, and California. Richard graduated from Huntington Beach High School in 1968 and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps the same year. He completed one tour of duty in Vietnam as a Scout Sniper. Upon his discharge from the Marines in 1970, Richard attended San Diego State University, (almost) graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature.

Richard Fraser

After the death of his mother in 1971, Richard set off to travel the world, traveling through Asia, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. He settled in Australia for a while and welcomed the birth of his son Noah in 1977.

Richard first arrived in Juneau, Alaska, on a sunny summer day in 1975. Richard made friends wherever he went, but it was serendipitous that he should meet a fellow traveler on the ferry named Marquam, who became his lifelong friend and business partner. In 1982, he and Marquam started Blu Spruce Construction. Many homes and businesses were built and remodeled with their guidance, knowledge, and craftsmanship. If you were driving around Juneau with Richard, he was known to point out decks he had built (and stairs and fences and houses) and say, ‘Wow, nice stairs! Wonder who built those.’ In 1989, Richard decided to go solo, starting Woodline Carpentry where he continued until his ‘retirement’ in 2015 (does a carpenter ever truly retire?) .

In 1982, Richard met his forever partner Londi and they were married in 1985. Richard wore jeans and a flannel button-up to their courthouse wedding. They spent their first years of marriage traveling the world, hiking, biking, and living in a dry cabin in North Douglas along with Marquam and his partner Linda. In 1992, their first daughter Leah was born, followed by the adoption of their second daughter Wenshi in 2003. The family continued to travel and go on adventures together. One of Richard’s favorite places to travel was Mexico, where he would sit on the docks, fold the skin of his kneecap in two, and turn it into a mouth that would speak the handful of words he had learned in Spanish to passers-by. The locals found him strange, then hilarious, then they found themselves at dinner with him, lagging behind him on a bike ride, or helplessly standing back as he rolled through their door like a snowball and gave them home improvement advice.

In his later years, Richard was able to devote more time to his love of bike riding. In 2013, Richard and Londi traveled to France with his bike in tow and joined a tour group that followed the Tour De France race for one week of the three-week race. He met like-minded riders and rode iconic Tour de France routes such as the Alpe d’Huez and the Col du Galibier. He also took biking trips in Arizona, California, Washington and Oregon.

Richard was a prolific reader. He was known for his knack for finding “a really good book, ” which he would pass on to his friends and family. He lit up with an infectious passion whenever he spoke about the complex, exciting, and often depressing stories he was reading. It was one of his most cherished activities. He also loved to play cribbage and chess and was always on the lookout for someone to play with.

Richard Fraser with one of his dogs.

We would be amiss if we didn’t mention his love for dogs. He was never without a dog in his life, and he took his dog with him wherever he went. On the rare occasion that a dog had to stay home, he was concerned about their well-being and excited to finally head home to be greeted with tail wags and pets. Whenever he went out to eat at a restaurant, he was sure to bring home leftovers in a "bolsa de perro" (his translation of "doggy bag") for his dog.

He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Londi, son Noah, daughters Leah and Wenshi, and Gabbie, his faithful dog. His immediate family included his cousin Jo and her husband Gerhart in Victoria, BC, Canada, and extensive extended Family-in-Laws living in multiple states.

He had many friends from various stages of his life including childhood friends, fellow carpenters, dog lovers, readers, neighbors, chess players, and bike riders, who all enhanced his life.

Special thanks to his caretakers Dr. Nandy Than, and the hospice crew, Kevin and LiJo.

Richard was vibrant and cheerful and had a joke to tell to anyone who would listen. Some were hilarious, some made you groan, and some were hilarious because they made you groan. Even though he was 76, he never really grew up, and we loved him for it. He said before his passing that he had a great life and had few regrets. Wherever he is in the cosmos, you can be sure it involves a bike, good books, and tail wags from the dogs that have been waiting for him.

Per Richard’s wishes, there will be no service, but please take a moment outside and think of him.