Obituary

James Wallace Fraser, beloved father, grandfather, and lifelong adventurer, passed away peacefully in hospice this week at the age of 83. Born in Akron, Ohio, he spent his childhood summers in Sarasota, where the warm Gulf air eased his asthma and gave him some of his happiest early memories. It was fitting that Sarasota would also be where he spent his last good days—surrounded by sun, sea, and the place that had first offered him comfort and hope.

A true entrepreneur at heart, he founded Comtrend in the 1970s, pioneering one of the first companies to trade commodities by computer. Reinvention was part of his nature; whenever life knocked him down, he rebuilt himself with resilience and curiosity. His personal motto—never give up—was more than a phrase. It was the steady rhythm of his life.

He survived challenges that most would consider impossible. As a boy, he nearly drowned in Sarasota before being saved by a fisherman whose hook the family still keeps as a reminder of how fragile life is—and how often heroes appear when most needed. Decades later, he famously drove himself to the emergency room while having a heart attack and came through it with the same stubborn determination that defined him.

A gifted athlete and relentless spirit, he ran several marathons, completing his final one in Athens, Greece, in his late 70s—a place rich with history, endurance, and triumph, much like his own journey.

He was the youngest of five siblings, a devoted father to his two sons, Scott and James, and a proud “Poppy” to his five grandchildren: James, Hayden, Jackie, William, and Samantha. He loved them deeply, encouraged them fiercely, and delighted in every milestone.

He will be missed beyond measure. His family will remember him each autumn Saturday, cheering for Notre Dame—his alma mater—and feeling his presence in every game, every sunrise in Sarasota, and every moment that calls for perseverance.

His story was one of survival, strength, reinvention, and love. And his legacy lives on in all who knew him.

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