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In Memory
Kevin Lawrence Frazier, Class of 1989, died on September 18, 2002, in New York City, from AIDS-related complications. He was thirty-five years old. Kevin was a beautiful singer, a talented actor and director, a beloved friend. Since graduation, Kevin was an outspoken advocate for people with AIDS, both as an actor and assistant director of the AIDS Theater Project, a not-for-profit theatre group committed to HIV/AIDS awareness, and as an advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention with the Ryan Center and the Speaker’s Bureau at GMHC (Gay Men’s Health Crisis). Kevin was active in local theatre, producing his own one-man show, Give Me Room, later developed into a one-act play, as well as producing other works of friends and colleagues. Kevin also sang with, and served as an officer on the board of, the Lavender Light Gospel Choir. A resident of Brooklyn, Kevin was a dedicated and beloved congregant of Grace Church, Brooklyn Heights. He worked as a paralegal for twelve years with the law firm of Davis, Webber and Edwards, which later became Hogan and Hartson. He is survived by his partner of ten years, Francis Blacklock, and their beloved dog, Mandy; his parents, two sisters, a brother, a niece, and countless friends.
At a gathering on November 17, 2002, many of Kevin’s friends from New York, Amherst, and around the country, gathered to celebrate his life. We remembered his dynamic stage presence and his glorious singing voice; how he would perform “Up on the Roof,” with the Amherst College DQ, eyes closed, his velvet baritone brushed along with a graceful flip of his long-fingered hands. We remembered his work during his Amherst years in creating the Third World Theater Group and Spectrum III, opening up avenues for new and diverse theater opportunities. We remembered his ready smile, as big and warm as a spring sunrise. We remembered what a good listener Kevin was, slowly delivering well-considered advice. Most of all, we remembered his warmth and serenity and how he faced his illness with unwavering honesty, grace, and courage.
To lose someone so dear, and so young, makes one wonder what it means to have a meaningful life. Kevin wondered this himself. During his last days, Kevin was surrounded by many people who, touched by his generous and honest soul, traveled from all over the world to hold his hand and say goodbye. The deep and intimate relationships with those close to him, and Kevin’s ability to touch and inspire strangers and acquaintances, made his short life full. This, perhaps, was his greatest achievement, to bring together people from different backgrounds and experiences and inspire from them an abiding love. Those of us who love Kevin live with his memory and spirit every day and are better for it. But we will miss him, always.
Ann Jones ’89
Brad Aspel ’90
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Deceased September 18, 2002
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Contact
Family
Personal
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Professional
Employment Information
Former
- ParalegalDavis Scott Weber & EdwardsStart:01/1993End:09/2002
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Amherst
Reunion Class
- 1989
Graduation Year
- 1989
Major(s)
- Political Science; Spanish
Other Academic
Secondary Schools
- St. Mark's School of Texas
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Amherst
- Charles Drew House
- Davis Dormitory
- Morrow Dormitory
- Stone Dormitory
Extracurricular Activities
- Amherst College DQ
- Robert Frost Library Student Worker
Post-Graduate
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