Robert Lee Frazier

Robert Lee Frazier
Dr. Robert Lee “Bob” Frazier was born December 19, 1936, in Houston, Texas to Everette Edell Frazier and Mable Ima Cameron Frazier. His father was decorated with the second highest military honor for his service in New Guinea during WW2 and retired from the Air Force with the rank of Colonel. His mother was a career teacher in Pasadena. Robert attended Elementary and Jr. High in Jacksonville, Huntsville; High Schools in Pasadena, Texas, Dayton and Fairborn, Ohio and graduated from High School in College Station, Texas in 1955. He was a member of the football team that won the Gulf Coast Championship. Upon completion of his undergraduate degree in Math from Sam Houston State University in 1959, he was honored as a Distinguished Military Graduate and Commissioned as a Regular Army Officer. At SHSU, he was a member of the Scabbard and Blade National Military Society, the Phi Mu Alpha National Music Fraternity and Acapella Choir. Robert proudly served his Country in the US Army. During his tour of duty, he served two years in the Military Combat Branch as an Artillery Officer and another eight years as an Ordnance Officer. He was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas where he was a member of the 16th Artillery. He began his service as an Ordnance Officer at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama where he was trained in electronics and served as a Missile System Project Officer. He was then assigned to Baumholder and Furth, Germany, and appointed Company Commander of an Ordnance Company and later a Battalion Maintenance Officer. Robert was then reassigned to Fort Story Virginia where he activated with a Transportation Command and shipped out to Que Nam, Vietnam serving as the Port Ordinance Officer. Robert resigned his Regular Army Commission as a Captain and returned to civilian life to rejoin his wife Virgie and three daughters. Robert was employed by General Dynamics in Fort Worth, Texas, and worked as a Master Schedules Analyst and Facilities Engineer on the F-111 aircraft. In 1970, he decided to pursue a degree in the new field of Criminal Justice and took a job as a guard at the Diagnostic Unit of the Texas Department of Corrections while working toward a Master of Arts degree at SHSU. The family moved to Huntsville at this time, where his wife Virgie continued her career as a secretary. Upon completing his MA degree in Corrections, he was hired to teach research methods while working toward a PhD in Criminal Justice. His thesis comparing adult probation cost to the cost of imprisonment was later recognized as the best example of cost/benefit analysis in the corrections field. His next employment was Chief of Planning at the Texas Department of Corrections. In 1974, the Family moved to Beaumont where Dr. Frazier was hired as an Assistant Professor teaching criminal justice at Lamar University. In addition to teaching full time, he initiated and managed the internship program in criminal justice, co-authored the leading Introduction to Criminal Justice textbook and developed over one million dollars in grant funding which included a Youth in Trouble Program. He also developed the first comprehensive report of the status of long-range planning in police departments in the United States. Dr. Frazier retired from Lamar University in 2005 as a Full Professor and was designated as Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Social Work and Criminal Justice. Robert unselfishly volunteered throughout his life. He was a Boy Scout and Explorer Scout Leader and assisted with work on facilities for Girl Scouts. He taught Sunday School in Baptist Churches in Texas and Alabama. He served as either President and/or Board Member of The Jefferson County Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, the Al Price Juvenile Reformatory and the Prisoner Visitation and Support (PVS), a national organization with members who visit prisoners in federal prisons. Robert was the visitor coordinator for the Beaumont facilities of the Federal Bureau of Prisons and with his wife Doneane, visited prisoners at the maximum-security prison for several years, as well as visiting several other federal prisons across the county.


Robert kept active in his home life, where he enjoyed golf and gardening. He and his family enjoyed fishing and hunting in addition to extensive RV travel with his wife Doneane. He assisted several local police agencies in developing long range plans, as well as consulting in Jail planning. He was Elder in two Beaumont Presbyterian Churches and has been a member of First Baptist Church in Port Neches since he and Doneane were married. Robert and Virgie were married in 1958 and he is survived by his daughters Patty Rivoire (Mike), Donna Burkett (Don), and Sharon Grace (Jerry). Grandchildren Joel Bridgers (Emily), Holly Smith (Kenneth), Cody Burkett (Amanda), Corey Burkett (Michelle), Lacy Burkett and Jeremy Hope. Surviving nephews and nieces include Bobbi Flowers, John Lee, and Paul Lee. Doneane and Robert married in 2005 and he is survived by his wife Doneane, and includes daughters Belinda Vincent (Jay), Holly Gaspard, and Charlyn Voight (Peter). Grandchildren include Rachel Burcham (Eric), Sarah Luttrull (Chad), Jacob Vincent (Julia), Hannah Carlin (Lucas), Abigail Begnaud (Brandon), Aaron Gaspard (Rebecca), Alex Gaspard (Paige), Avery and Aidan Voight.

He survived and was blessed by 26 great grandchildren and 1 great great grandchild.