The Whidbey Island Scotsman
July 7, 2021
Unexpectedly, we had to say our final “cheerio” to Loudon, a.k.a. Bigloudy and Boppa, on Monday, June 28, 2021. Were we ready for this? NO! However, through the tears, we have been smiling and laughing at all the incredible stories and memories we have of this one-of-a-kind man who has been known and loved by so many.
Loudon Hamilton Fraser was born in Glasgow, Scotland on January 17, 1936. He was the first of seven children born to Robert and Helen Fraser. He was the big brother to Helen, Jim, Agnes (Nan), Andrea, Robert (Bobby) and Margaret (Maggie). Although these Glaswegian siblings are scattered all over the world - from Scotland to Australia to eastern and northern Canada to California and Whidbey Island, they are still so very close. They could go without seeing each other for several years, but when they got together it was like it had only been a day since they’d been apart. Luckily with Facetime, these past few years my dad was able to see them in person online and it was always fun to come to my folks’ house and hear the familiar Scottish accents and laughter of my dad and my aunties and uncles. My Uncle Jim and Auntie Nan preceded my dad in death, both saying their final “cheerio” in 2019.
My dad was born in Glasgow right before the beginning of WWII, and the war greatly impacted his early years. Glasgow was a hub of industry which produced ships and munitions for the Allied forces. This left the city vulnerable to the threat of Nazi bombings, which unfortuately did occur. Glaswegian children were being evacuated to countryside locales to keep them safe. In the earlier years of the war, Loudon and his sister, Helen, were evacuated to the highlands of Scotland on a 30,000 acre estate named Invergeldie. His memories of life at Invergeldie are filled with joy and adventure. My dad was an incredible whistler. I asked him how he learned to whistle so well. He told me a shepherd who tended sheep on Invergeldie land taught him. During the war, he spent several years at Invergeldie, roaming through the glens and climbing up the braes and acquiring knowledge and skills from the local highlanders. These years were instrumental in guiding him on his future path. After the war, Loudon returned to Glasgow and had many wonderful memories in his hometown; however, his years in the countryside created a wanderlust that would not rest. Thus, at the age of twenty, Loudon set off to see the world.
In 1956, Loudon set sail on a ship headed for Canada. He arrived in Montreal; however, he kept heading west and ended up in Vancouver, British Columbia. He lived in Vancouver for five years working in an assortment of jobs. His most memorable was when he worked as a jail guard. This job didn’t last long, however, as he got fired for being too nice to the inmates! He spent too much time chatting with them and playing cards! During his time in Vancouver, he joined a soccer team including mainly British and Irish emigrants. His first trips to the USA were to play in soccer tournaments. After a few trips “down south,” Loudon decided that Seattle would be the next phase of his world tour. In 1961, he moved to the United States (becoming a citizen in 1968) and started his career as an accountant for Shell Oil Company. He rented a room from a Scottish family. Drew, the teenager in this family, really liked Loudon and wanted to set him up with his girlfriend’s older sister. So, after much prodding and pleading, that older sister finally agreed to meet this “Loudon guy.” Diane Cherry and Loudon Fraser had their first date at a coffee house accompanied by Drew and several of his 8th grade buddies! After this first encounter, Diane didn’t hear from Loudon for three months. He had gone back to Scotland for a time when his father got sick and, as cell phones and texts were not invented yet, Diane didn’t hear from him after that first date. However, this was not the end of their story (of course)! When my dad returned to Seattle and his job at Shell Oil, he learned that Diane was just starting a job at Shell Oil Company too. He made sure he was the first one there to welcome her. It was indeed meant to be as the two of them started dating after this. A year later they were married and due to finding his soulmate, Loudon’s world tour was cut short! When they honeymooned in Scotland, Diane learned that when Loudon had gone back to Scotland for those three months, he had told his family that he had met the woman he was going to marry (deciding this after their first coffee date)!
Loudon and Diane lived in Seattle as newlyweds but were soon transferred to Portland, OR, where their daughter, Heather, was born. About a year later they were again transferred to Medford, OR with the future plan that Loudon would soon be sent to the Shell Oil San Francisco office. Diane’s parents, Lorna and Hardin Cherry had just purchased a grocery store at Ken’s Corner and asked if Loudon and Diane would like to come run it. The timing was perfect as Diane was missing her Seattle and Whidbey Island family and did not want to travel farther south. Loudon quit Shell Oil and they headed up to Whidbey Island to run the Ken’s Corner Grocery Store. They ran the store for about a year before it burned to the ground. Loudon then spent some time working at Watermen’s Mill; however, as an accountant, he was missing the office life. Loudon then learned what it was like to commute by ferry boat! He began working for the Seattle based NASD (National Association of Security Dealers) as an securities investigator. After years with the NASD, he became a federal investigator for the SEC (Securities Exchange Commission). He worked for the SEC for over 25 years and spent the last 10 years of his working life commuting between San Francisco and Whidbey when the Seattle SEC office was closed. He was finally talked into retiring when he was 70 years old. Had the Seattle office not closed, we believe that he would have tried to keep working up until he was 85 with the SEC as he loved his career as a federal investigator and excelled at it! During the years at the NASD and SEC, Loudon traveled frequently and managed to visit and work in most of the 50 United States.
Although Loudon retired, his adventures continued. Loudon and Diane took trips around the western United States in their VW camper van, they visited family in Toronto and northern Ontario, traveled to Scotland several times, and spent time with relatives and friends in Australia and Tasmania. They also had a timeshare in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, for several years that they loved visiting with their kids, Heather and Loudy and son in law, Willy.
Loudon’s favorite retirement activity was spending time with his family. His grandkids, Isla and Aengus, had the great fortune of growing up with their grandparents nearby. Loudon was present at all their events. From tennis matches to church plays to soccer games (where he helped coach Aengus’ soccer team for a couple years), to birthday parties and all other sorts of celebrations he was there. He loved his grandkids so much and would do anything for them. He even dressed up as Hagrid for Isla’s Harry Potter birthday one year and with his Scottish brogue, what a bang up job he did!
Not only did he love his family, he was also the biggest extrovert anyone has ever met! He loved chatting (and flirting) with everyone he encountered and loved to use sayings and one liners that came to be known as “Loudon Fraserisms!” Diane learned early on that my dad loved people and loved to entertain. As newlyweds in Seattle, my dad would read the maritime news and find out if British ships were in port. If British ships were in Seattle, he would go down to the docks and find any Scottish mariners that happened to be on board and bring them home for dinner. My mom recollects that these were such wonderful and fun memories of their Seattle days as newlyweds. This continued during their life on Whidbey and Loudon and Diane spent many happy times entertaining foreign visitors that my dad happened to meet (usually while playing pool at the Dog House, which was one of his favorite pastimes). We always thought that my dad should have opened a Whidbey Island hostel as he loved meeting foreign travelers and learning of their adventures. Loudon had the “gift of gab” as my mom would say and he had the delightful knack of making people feel welcome and present when he was with them.
Loudon loved nature and animals. I will always remember as a little girl, that whenever he saw a spider in the house he would gently take it outside (he even did that with flies)! This admiration for the natural world continued on until the day he died. During the past several years, his favorite thing to do was sit on his back porch with the love of his life, Diane, talking about the beauty of the roses in his garden or laughing at the antics of the ducks in his pond. He also loved all the wild birds, deer and squirrels that made his backyard their nature sanctuary and they always knew they were welcome there.
Loudon lived his life fully and was fully loved and will be missed so very, very much. The one thing we know; however, is that he indeed died a happy man.
Loudon is survived by his wife, Diane, children, Heather and Loudy, son-in-law, Willy and grandchildren, Isla and Aengus.
Loudon Hamilton Fraser was born in Glasgow, Scotland on January 17, 1936. He was the first of seven children born to Robert and Helen Fraser. He was the big brother to Helen, Jim, Agnes (Nan), Andrea, Robert (Bobby) and Margaret (Maggie). Although these Glaswegian siblings are scattered all over the world - from Scotland to Australia to eastern and northern Canada to California and Whidbey Island, they are still so very close. They could go without seeing each other for several years, but when they got together it was like it had only been a day since they’d been apart. Luckily with Facetime, these past few years my dad was able to see them in person online and it was always fun to come to my folks’ house and hear the familiar Scottish accents and laughter of my dad and my aunties and uncles. My Uncle Jim and Auntie Nan preceded my dad in death, both saying their final “cheerio” in 2019.
My dad was born in Glasgow right before the beginning of WWII, and the war greatly impacted his early years. Glasgow was a hub of industry which produced ships and munitions for the Allied forces. This left the city vulnerable to the threat of Nazi bombings, which unfortuately did occur. Glaswegian children were being evacuated to countryside locales to keep them safe. In the earlier years of the war, Loudon and his sister, Helen, were evacuated to the highlands of Scotland on a 30,000 acre estate named Invergeldie. His memories of life at Invergeldie are filled with joy and adventure. My dad was an incredible whistler. I asked him how he learned to whistle so well. He told me a shepherd who tended sheep on Invergeldie land taught him. During the war, he spent several years at Invergeldie, roaming through the glens and climbing up the braes and acquiring knowledge and skills from the local highlanders. These years were instrumental in guiding him on his future path. After the war, Loudon returned to Glasgow and had many wonderful memories in his hometown; however, his years in the countryside created a wanderlust that would not rest. Thus, at the age of twenty, Loudon set off to see the world.
In 1956, Loudon set sail on a ship headed for Canada. He arrived in Montreal; however, he kept heading west and ended up in Vancouver, British Columbia. He lived in Vancouver for five years working in an assortment of jobs. His most memorable was when he worked as a jail guard. This job didn’t last long, however, as he got fired for being too nice to the inmates! He spent too much time chatting with them and playing cards! During his time in Vancouver, he joined a soccer team including mainly British and Irish emigrants. His first trips to the USA were to play in soccer tournaments. After a few trips “down south,” Loudon decided that Seattle would be the next phase of his world tour. In 1961, he moved to the United States (becoming a citizen in 1968) and started his career as an accountant for Shell Oil Company. He rented a room from a Scottish family. Drew, the teenager in this family, really liked Loudon and wanted to set him up with his girlfriend’s older sister. So, after much prodding and pleading, that older sister finally agreed to meet this “Loudon guy.” Diane Cherry and Loudon Fraser had their first date at a coffee house accompanied by Drew and several of his 8th grade buddies! After this first encounter, Diane didn’t hear from Loudon for three months. He had gone back to Scotland for a time when his father got sick and, as cell phones and texts were not invented yet, Diane didn’t hear from him after that first date. However, this was not the end of their story (of course)! When my dad returned to Seattle and his job at Shell Oil, he learned that Diane was just starting a job at Shell Oil Company too. He made sure he was the first one there to welcome her. It was indeed meant to be as the two of them started dating after this. A year later they were married and due to finding his soulmate, Loudon’s world tour was cut short! When they honeymooned in Scotland, Diane learned that when Loudon had gone back to Scotland for those three months, he had told his family that he had met the woman he was going to marry (deciding this after their first coffee date)!
Loudon and Diane lived in Seattle as newlyweds but were soon transferred to Portland, OR, where their daughter, Heather, was born. About a year later they were again transferred to Medford, OR with the future plan that Loudon would soon be sent to the Shell Oil San Francisco office. Diane’s parents, Lorna and Hardin Cherry had just purchased a grocery store at Ken’s Corner and asked if Loudon and Diane would like to come run it. The timing was perfect as Diane was missing her Seattle and Whidbey Island family and did not want to travel farther south. Loudon quit Shell Oil and they headed up to Whidbey Island to run the Ken’s Corner Grocery Store. They ran the store for about a year before it burned to the ground. Loudon then spent some time working at Watermen’s Mill; however, as an accountant, he was missing the office life. Loudon then learned what it was like to commute by ferry boat! He began working for the Seattle based NASD (National Association of Security Dealers) as an securities investigator. After years with the NASD, he became a federal investigator for the SEC (Securities Exchange Commission). He worked for the SEC for over 25 years and spent the last 10 years of his working life commuting between San Francisco and Whidbey when the Seattle SEC office was closed. He was finally talked into retiring when he was 70 years old. Had the Seattle office not closed, we believe that he would have tried to keep working up until he was 85 with the SEC as he loved his career as a federal investigator and excelled at it! During the years at the NASD and SEC, Loudon traveled frequently and managed to visit and work in most of the 50 United States.
Although Loudon retired, his adventures continued. Loudon and Diane took trips around the western United States in their VW camper van, they visited family in Toronto and northern Ontario, traveled to Scotland several times, and spent time with relatives and friends in Australia and Tasmania. They also had a timeshare in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, for several years that they loved visiting with their kids, Heather and Loudy and son in law, Willy.
Loudon’s favorite retirement activity was spending time with his family. His grandkids, Isla and Aengus, had the great fortune of growing up with their grandparents nearby. Loudon was present at all their events. From tennis matches to church plays to soccer games (where he helped coach Aengus’ soccer team for a couple years), to birthday parties and all other sorts of celebrations he was there. He loved his grandkids so much and would do anything for them. He even dressed up as Hagrid for Isla’s Harry Potter birthday one year and with his Scottish brogue, what a bang up job he did!
Not only did he love his family, he was also the biggest extrovert anyone has ever met! He loved chatting (and flirting) with everyone he encountered and loved to use sayings and one liners that came to be known as “Loudon Fraserisms!” Diane learned early on that my dad loved people and loved to entertain. As newlyweds in Seattle, my dad would read the maritime news and find out if British ships were in port. If British ships were in Seattle, he would go down to the docks and find any Scottish mariners that happened to be on board and bring them home for dinner. My mom recollects that these were such wonderful and fun memories of their Seattle days as newlyweds. This continued during their life on Whidbey and Loudon and Diane spent many happy times entertaining foreign visitors that my dad happened to meet (usually while playing pool at the Dog House, which was one of his favorite pastimes). We always thought that my dad should have opened a Whidbey Island hostel as he loved meeting foreign travelers and learning of their adventures. Loudon had the “gift of gab” as my mom would say and he had the delightful knack of making people feel welcome and present when he was with them.
Loudon loved nature and animals. I will always remember as a little girl, that whenever he saw a spider in the house he would gently take it outside (he even did that with flies)! This admiration for the natural world continued on until the day he died. During the past several years, his favorite thing to do was sit on his back porch with the love of his life, Diane, talking about the beauty of the roses in his garden or laughing at the antics of the ducks in his pond. He also loved all the wild birds, deer and squirrels that made his backyard their nature sanctuary and they always knew they were welcome there.
Loudon lived his life fully and was fully loved and will be missed so very, very much. The one thing we know; however, is that he indeed died a happy man.
Loudon is survived by his wife, Diane, children, Heather and Loudy, son-in-law, Willy and grandchildren, Isla and Aengus.