Mary Elizabeth Hill Jones Frasier

The Celebration of Life for Mrs. Frasier will be live streamed on the Facebook Page of Fisher Memorial Funeral Parlor.​

In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial donations to:

The White Rock Baptist Church Child Development Center

IN MEMORY OF Elizabeth Hill Frasier

3400 Fayetteville Street

Durham, NC  27707

and/or

Fayetteville State University

  IN MEMORY: The Elizabeth Hill Frasier Endowed Scholarship

Attention: Ms. Arielle King, University Development

1200 Murchison Rd.

Fayetteville, NC 28301

Mary Elizabeth Hill Jones Frasier of Durham, NC, peacefully transitioned at her home on Monday, December 26, 2022. She was born to Wilbert and Queen Elizabeth Hughes Hill on February 2, 1924 in Yanceyville, NC.  She was educated in the NC Caswell County Schools and was a B.A. graduate of Fayetteville State University (formerly Fayetteville State Teachers’ College) and a M.A. graduate of NC Central University (formerly NC College at Durham).

     She was a faithful 61-year member of White Rock Baptist Church, Durham, NC where she served in various church auxiliaries including the senior choir/soprano soloist and co-founder of the esteemed 5-star Child Development Center

     Her entire life revolved around serving as a childhood education advocate. After graduating from Fayetteville State University in 1945, she taught in the public schools systems in Fayetteville, Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, NC and Washington, DC.  

     As a result of her outstanding contributions in the field of education, she was recruited by the Ford Foundation in Washington, DC to lead its first national children’s Special Reading Program. Subsequently, she taught and was recruited to serve as the first female African American principal of Frank Porter Graham Elementary School in Chapel Hill, NC. Following her retirement from Frank Porter Graham, she was hired as Director of Special Services at the Durham Technical Community College. She was then appointed as adjunct professor in the UNC- Chapel Hill Department of Education, serving as a consultant to the UNC-CH Student Teaching Fellows Program. During this time, she represented the NC Dept. of Public Instruction as a Visiting Observer in the British Infant Schools of London, England. Her greatest pride; however, was that of co-founder of White Rock Baptist Church Child Development Center (WRBC-CDC). The five-star, 24-year-old WRBC-CDC is nationally accredited; in addition to Durham Public Schools Pre- K and NC Pre-K accredited.

     During her 55-year teaching career, she served in many capacities: President, NC Kindergarten Association; Board Member, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC); Member & President, Durham Retired School Personnel (RSP); Co-Founder, Board Member & President, The Child Development Center of White Rock Baptist Church, Durham, NC and Authored two publications: Wow! What A Wonderful World (1990) and Making Connections (1999), co-authored with her granddaughter, Marilouise.

     Her many national, state and local acts of volunteerism have left positive imprints upon the lives of all with whom she interacted. Her charter membership and as President Emeritus of the Durham Chapter of Girlfriends, Inc.  and as organizer/local founder of her passionately competitive card game for which she is so well-noted, “Kings in the Corner”, will always be remembered as a significant component of her unforgettable social outreach legacy.

     She gracefully embraced her senior years mastering the art of calligraphy in her 70’s, guitar in her 80’s (including recitals across NC), and crocheting during her 90’s. Her love for music highlighted her additional talents i.e. an avid keyboardist (pianist and organist) and a classical soprano soloist.

     She is survived by her two sons, William “Tell” Jones of Durham, NC and Anthony W. Jones (Linda Gunn) of Raleigh, NC, resulting from her first marriage to the late William Jones, a granddaughter Marilouise Elizabeth Jones Nichols (Frank) and one great-granddaughter, Savannah Noelle Nichols of Wake Forest, NC. Her second marriage to the late Leroy B. Frasier created a loving blended family: the late LeRoy B. Frasier, Jr. (Gillian), of Brooklyn, NY; Ralph K. Frasier (Jeannine) of Jacksonville, Florida; granddaughters Karen Frasier Alston of United Arab Emirates, Gail Frasier Cox (Ira) of Cornelius, NC, and Rochelle Frasier (Marlon) and Marie Frasier Coleman of Columbus, OH; grandsons, Ralph Frasier, Jr. of Durham, NC;  and Keith Frasier (Jocelyn) of Chesapeake, VA; and nieces: Wanda and Sylvia Wright of Washington, DC and Brenda Hill of Waldorf, MD. She is also remembered by a host of extended family members and friends. 

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