Obituary of Willard Everett Fraize

Willard Everett Fraize

July 27^th 1936 – August 7^th 2023

On August 7^th, 2023, Willard (Will/Bill) Everett Fraize of Ashburn, Virginia, passed away peacefully in his sleep surrounded by family. Born in Somerville, Massachusetts Bill was 87 years old at the time of his passing. He is survived by his beloved wife of 63 years, Barbara Fraize, his children, Brian (& Betta) of Mt. Airy, Maryland, Peter (& Jessica) of Washington, DC, David (& Christy) of Springfield, Virginia, Cynthia of Reston, Virginia, and his seven grandchildren: Anna, Paige, Lucas, Ethan, Leo, Owen and Lexi. He is also survived by his brothers Larry and Kenny and many nieces and nephews. 

Bill was a graduate of Waltham High School class of 1954 and achieved a Doctor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was an active member of the MIT Society until 2016. He had a long and distinguished career in engineering, working for Ingersoll-Rand and the Mitre Corporation before retiring in 2000. 

For nearly 50 years, he made his home in Reston, Virginia before moving to Ashburn, Virginia in 2017. He enjoyed many hobbies, including running, skiing, cycling, playing trombone, and repairing clocks. He was a member of the Reston Runners Club and maintained many friendships within the community. He enjoyed playing the trombone for the Difficult Run Jazz Band, the Loudon County Symphony Orchestra, the Reston Community Players, and for fun with his fellow musicians. 

A service will be held on Tuesday August 22at the Adams-Green Funeral home at 721 Elden St., Herndon, VA 20170. At 1pm-4pm]. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research or the Parkinson’s Foundation.