Barbara Roberts Fraker's Obituary
Barbara Roberts Fraker, beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother passed away on the morning of October 8, 2020. She was 90 years old.
Born in 1930 in Chicago, Barbara’s long life was filled with travel, art, literature, and an active, growing family. The daughter of an Air Force Colonel, she lived all over the United States, including Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and Guam. Her family moved to San Angelo, Texas during her senior year of high school, where she stayed to attend San Angelo Junior College and met future husband Walter Fraker. She later transferred to the University of Texas at Austin and earned a BA in English. Before her marriage to Walter she taught high school in Corpus Christi and Midland, and she worked at the Pentagon. After their 1953 marriage, Barbara worked at the Texas Employment Commission while Walter attended law school at The University of Texas. Walter’s career at Placid Oil brought them to Shreveport, LA then to Dallas, TX where she taught English at St. Monica and E. D. Walker. Barbara lived the rest of her life in Dallas making many friends, raising four children and caring for her nine grandchildren who affectionately called her “Bobbie”.
Barbara had a great love for learning, reading and the arts. She was a docent at the Dallas Museum of Art for many years and was a talented painter herself. A favorite pastime was playing lively games of bridge and Mah Jong with her friends. She was a voracious reader, a trait that she passed on to many of her children and grandchildren. Last, Barbara’s sense of humor cannot be forgotten. Her excellent storytelling and entertaining drew everyone to her and will be most missed.
Barbara is preceded in death by her husband Walter, parents Colonel John E. and Erva Roberts and her siblings Sister Mary Joan, Sister of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul and Lt. Colonel John Roberts, JAG. She will be greatly missed by her sons Jack, Michael and Jim, daughter Kathleen Cox, son-in-law Patrick Cox, daughters-in-law Margaret Fraker, Dora Fraker and Lynn Fraker, grandchildren Daniel Cox, Michelle Chiara (Chris), Julie Cox, Jaclyn Marshall (Scott), Kevin Fraker (Grace), Derek Fraker, Stephanie Fraker, Michael Fraker, and Sophia Fraker and great-grandaughters Claire and Emily Chiara and Lara Marshall. Her family takes comfort in Barbara’s faith and understanding that they will be reunited again.
There will be a socially distanced Memorial Mass at Christ the King Catholic Church on Tuesday, October 13 at 1:00. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to Society of St. Vincent de Paul or Catholic Charities.
What’s your fondest memory of Barbara?
What’s a lesson you learned from Barbara?
Share a story where Barbara's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Barbara you’ll never forget.
How did Barbara make you smile?