Obituary of Allister MacDonald Fraser

Allister MacDonald Fraser – born in New Glasgow, October 29, 1923 to John and Catherine (MacDonald) Fraser of Thorburn. He passed peacefully on August 11, 2023 at the Aberdeen Hospital. Allister joined the RCAF at seventeen, reaching the rank of Flight Lieutenant and doing two tours in Europe, first in England and Holland and later during the reconstruction. He flew several aircraft before his beloved Mark V and Super Marine Spitfires. Many anecdotes of near misses and close calls were told if you could get him in the mood. When he returned home, he earned his degree in Pharmacy at Dalhousie University and began working at drugstores in Halifax, Truro and New Glasgow. He managed Ormand’s on Provost Street for two years but spent the bulk of his career managing the Pharmacy at the Aberdeen Hospital. He married his equal in wit and intellect, Jean Ellis at Hantsport, Nova Scotia in 1949. Dad always had hobbies or projects large and small. When I was young it was chess and many trophies and airmail letters from long distance games littered our house. He didn’t boast, but playing Boris Spassky with some of the Halifax Club was a point of pride. At some point he began playing duplicate bridge and made many close friends there. Thanks to Audrey MacGillivray he was able to continue to play online throughout Covid and during his recent illness. Music was a lifelong passion for Allister and his brothers. He was a founding member of The Pictou County Community Orchestra, playing violin and viola. Finding some obscure piece of music and transcribing it for all the different instruments was a great pleasure for him. Again, many lifelong friends came from this association. Through these activities, he was able to travel. Classical Music workshops in Virginia, Bridge Tournaments in Mexico or Bermuda, these always seemed to involve some adventure and wonderful stories resulted. Dad loved fishing and he loved foraging for berries and mushrooms. It is no exaggeration that he dropped a line in most of the brooks in Pictou and Guysborough Counties, and searched many glens and vales for the best berries and mushrooms. Generous with his time, loyal to friends, supportive to his family, Allister will be deeply missed. He is survived by son Paul, daughter-in-law Janice and grandson Wesley. He was predeceased by his parents, Jean, his wife of 61 years and his brothers Ralph and Allan. A celebration of life will be held at 2:00 pm Sunday, August 20, 2023 at Summer Street Industries. A private family burial is planned. www.angusfuneralhomes.com