Sylvia Leora Frazier, born on Oct. 14, 1926 in Cisco, Texas, was the fifth child of Will and Julia Hazel. Her older sister, Mardell, survived to adulthood, married Bill Rathmell and had 10 children, but three other children between Mardell and Sylvia died in childhood.

Sylvia's life seemed destined for peril, especially when she had tuberculosis at the age of seven. However, somehow she thrived, joined nursing school in 1944 supported by the army and became a nurse in 1947. She served in Dallas at Scottish Rite Crippled Children Hospital, Baylor Hospital and as a physical therapist for the Visiting Nurse Association.

Her nursing career came to an end in 1969, when she married James Walter Frazier, a math teacher at Abilene Christian College. They moved to Colorado, settling in Durango where Walter owned a 95-acre ranch and raised quarter horses. Walter died after 11 years of marriage, while ranching and directing Frazier Foundation, Inc. in support of the Church of Christ and other religious and educational activities all over the world. This led to extensive travel for him and Syliva. Sylvia remained active on the board of the foundation for many years. She also continued to operate the ranch, raising horses and offering boarding service to other horse owners, and ran the Hozhoni Riding Center for therapy for crippled children.

In 2019, at the age of 93, she decided to move back to the Dallas area where most of her nieces and nephews lived. She bought a house in Royse City and joined the Methodist Church there. She enjoyed participating in the family activities of the remaining seven children of her sister, Mardell Rathmell, and visiting the Frazier relatives in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas, and enjoyed the mutual devotion of her little dog, Corky.

In 2023, Sylvia came down with a persistent case of shingles. Her granddaughter, Rachel (Frazier) Hewett, a nurse, took Sylvia home with her to Searcy, Arkansas for four months, hoping to assist in a cure for the shingles. While there, it was discovered that she also had cancer. Treatment for the cancer and shingles was continued, with little effect in both cases after she returned to Royse City. She struggled to keep doing the things she liked (and was determined) to do. She was enabled by the local family with Rachel's valuable guidance, and a loving group of caregivers to continue living in her home until she passed on Dec. 23, 2024, at the age of 98.

Sylvia is survived by Walter's son Jim Frazier and Mikah Frazier and their family, and Walter's daughter Rudith Drennen and family and by Mardell and Bill Rathmell's children: Jake (Marvis) Rathmell, Jenet Jolly, Marjuel (Bob) Reynolds, Katherine Creech, Robert (Bonnie) Rathmell, Dwight (Lana) Rathmell, and Bernard Rathmell and numerous members of the next three generations.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Methodist Church of Royse City, which was destroyed by fire early in 2024.

Visitation will be 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025 at Rest Haven Funeral Home in Rockwall, followed by a funeral service at 10 a.m. Burial will be in Rest Haven Memorial Park.