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The Rev. Steward H. Frazier Jr., 77, a retired Associate Member, died May 26, after battling cancer for some time. The Rev. Bryant Oskvig officiated at a memorial service June 25, at Linden-Linthicum UMC in Clarksville. The Revs. Vivian McCarthy and Jane Wood participated.

Frazier was a second career pastor who came from the American Baptist Convention, South in 1988, to serve in the Baltimore-Washington Conference. He served as the part time pastor at Browns Chapel, West Liberty and Milton Avenue UMCs, and as pastor of Emory Grove UMC from 1992 until illness caused him to retire in 1998.

While a student at West Virginia State University (College) in the 1950s, he worked part-time for a veterinarian, and decided to pursue the profession. After a two-year stint in the military, where he was trained as a parachutist, he took up the study of veterinary medicine and graduated from the Tuskegee University (Alabama) College of Veterinary Medicine in 1962.

He had a full career as a veterinary medical officer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration and retired in 1992 after 32 years.

He married Bettye Canady of Fayetteville, N.C., in the mid-1950s. They had two daughters and a son. They later divorced.

As a young man, Frazier’s father told him that his name, Steward, meant he was to be a servant of others. He took this to heart and throughout his life served in various ways. He was involved with the Howard County Farm Preservation Program, and a member of the Citizen Review Board for Children of Howard County. He was also a member of the Council of Elders of the Black Community of Howard County and served in its School Program. He received many recognition awards for his service in the Public School System.

At Linden-Linthicum, he was a member of United Methodist Men. One year he accompanied the youth group on a mission trip to Camp Hope in western Maryland, repairing homes for elderly and disabled people.

Frazier was first diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1986 at the age of 53. Radiation treatments caused heart valve problems and he had open heart surgery to correct them. At the same time, he worked toward a Course of Study degree from Wesley Theological Seminary and graduated in 1995. He also attended Howard University School of Divinity.

He kept a positive attitude through all the treatments, many of which had adverse effects. He was an enthusiastic walker, which was not only a way to cope, but improved his health, strengthened his body and lifted his spirit. He became an avid educator on prostate cancer, working with the national Prostate Health and Education Network (PHEN).

In April 2009, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, “However, my PSA remains normal, and I consider surviving prostate cancer for over 20 years to be one of the greatest achievements of my life,” he said Nov. 10, 2009, in an interview.

He was preceded in death by a son, Wesley.

He is survived by his wife of nine years, Jean Evansmore, of Ellicott City; his former wife; daughters Myra Frazier of Ellicott City and Annette Sylvester; eight grandchildren and step-grandson, Nicholas, with whom he had a special relationship.