Nancy Frazee

Nancy Nida Frazee (née Kallel) was born in Los Angeles, California on December 29, 1932. The beloved only child of Lebanese immigrants, Widey and Fedwa Kallel, Nancy grew up in a big house on Burlington Avenue, right next door to her Aunt Aliya and Uncle Albert who happened to be her mother's sister and her father's brother. Both families ran a small grocery store and managed tenants on their properties. They shared an outside patio with an old stove and many fruit trees. The side-by-side houses were often a gathering place for a large community of newly immigrated Syrian and Lebanese friends and relatives. Blessed with three double-cousins right next door, Nancy always considered them her siblings. When Nancy was three years old, she traveled with her parents to the small mining town of Helper, Utah to visit their close family friends from the “old country.” As luck would have it, these family friends introduced Nancy to their young son, Gerald (Jerry) William Frazee, who, unbeknownst to all, would later become Nancy’s husband of 70 years. Photographs taken across two visits between the families document the toddlers, Nancy and Jerry, sharing hugs and a kiss. These photographs are among the family’s most treasured possessions.

As a student at Los Angeles High School, Nancy reconnected with Jerry through a pen-pal assignment. Their relationship blossomed when Jerry moved to Southern California as a young man with his recently widowed mother. In 1950, Nancy enjoyed a brief but happy year at Occidental College before she lost her carpool ride from her friend Sophie. She transferred to the closer-to-home University of Southern California, where she graduated with a degree in education in 1954. The next year, upon Jerry’s return from service in the Korean War, Nancy and Jerry were married in Los Angeles. Their family quickly grew with the arrival of Mark, followed by Marla, and then Janel. Working as an elementary school teacher and later as a substitute teacher, Nancy created a stable, creative, nurturing home while encouraging her entrepreneurial husband as he transitioned from insurance salesman to business owner. Nancy and Jerry moved frequently during these years, living in Reedley, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, and Encino, before settling in Glendale in 1971 where they lived until 2016.

Nancy’s life was anchored by family, friends, and service. In addition to her work as an educator, Nancy volunteered for a variety of social causes. She was a proud member of service organizations including the church-affiliated Gamma Tau Sorority, the Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) Sisterhood, the Visiting Nurses Association (VNA) of Glendale where she worked as a hospice volunteer and bereavement counselor, and she also enjoyed a five year stint at Descanso Gardens as an assistant wedding coordinator. Especially dear to her heart, however, was her work with the Assistance League of Glendale. During her time with the Assistance League, Nancy served as president and vice-president. She also spearheaded Authors and Illustrators Day, an event designed to increase literacy in local elementary schools. The program continues after three decades and, since its inception, has facilitated hundreds of author visits to classrooms while providing funds for school libraries. In 1999, the Glendale News Press honored Nancy’s commitment to community service by announcing her as a finalist for the paper’s Woman of Achievement Award.

Nancy was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, known to her grandchildren as Sito. Nothing brought her greater joy than spending time with her extended family. Nancy and Jerry’s Glendale home, with its backyard pool and bountiful mulberry tree, became the site of countless gatherings. While children and grandchildren played and swam, Nancy always kept a watchful eye from the kitchen window, preparing delicious treats for hungry kids. Sometimes, to the delight of her grandchildren, Nancy would deliver a tray laden with food and drinks before walking into the pool fully clothed to join the fun. Nancy shared her appreciation of art and culture with her grandchildren, taking them to plays and concerts while also ensuring they had all watched a VHS tape with lessons on etiquette. This “manners video” would become an enduring family joke. For almost 30 years, Nancy and Jerry treated the entire family to a week-long beach vacation in Oxnard or Maui where countless memories were made.

Nancy and Jerry traveled extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico, and the Caribbean, often with many dear friends. They loved exploring new places, visiting museums, finding interesting restaurants, and being together. It seems, though, that their favorite place was under a particular banyan tree on Maui, where they would read books and savor the island’s beauty together.

Nancy’s family and friends remember her playful sense of humor, her loving disposition, and her profound generosity. She often expressed this devotion through her excellent cooking, making sure her loved ones were well fed and cared for. She was always interested in what was happening in their lives, frequently showing up for a visit with freshly baked cookies or a pot of something delicious and, just as often, opening up her home for the same. Her warm smile, soft embrace, and quick wit were always available and perfectly timed. A voracious reader, Nancy was never far from a book, a stack of magazines, and the LA Times. She loved the colors pink and yellow, pansies, all varieties of cake, Chinese food, and spending time with friends—both old and new. Most of all, Nancy cherished the life and the family she shared with Jerry, her husband of 70 years.

Nancy is survived by her children Mark (Anne), Marla, and Janel (Sam); her eight grandchildren, Michael, Andy (Ellie), Graham (Maria), Reed, Amy, Jena (Daman), James, and Harper (Laura); and her great grandchildren, Arthur, Stella, Lewis, Jaden, and one more on the way. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to: 

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital 

Alzheimer’s Association 

Assistance League of Glendale