Louise Fraza passed away on November 15, 2022. She was a member of the Linnaean Society for 26 years and a friend to many in the field. I last saw her on February 14, 2021, when a few brave souls battled what felt like near-Arctic conditions at Croton Point Park. She will be missed by many in our community.
— Rochelle Thomas, President
A Personal Tribute: Our Memories of Louise Fraza
Our dear friend has passed. She left swiftly and in peace.
We met Louise Fraza while birding more than thirty years ago, and quickly became fast friends. First we birded together locally, then ventured farther out by visiting parts of Central and South America and Manitoba.
Louise was a kind, generous, and adventurous person who loved being in nature, the sort of person that everyone liked because they sensed her caring nature. She saw good in everyone and was sensitive to the feelings and needs of others. One memory that stays with us took place at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. We were on a trip with the Linnaean Society when we received a report of a Ruff on the East Pond. We hastened our walk, but then noticed that Louise wasn’t with us. She had fallen behind to help a birder who couldn’t walk quickly, because she didn’t want that person to feel alone. Happily, we all saw the Ruff.
Louise gave so much. She was active in the anti-fracking movement. She devoted time and energy to a close friend who was sick in the aftermath of 9/11; this interfered with her beloved birding, but she gave her all the support she could. She also gave much of herself to the Linnaean Society, from her participation on the Council to her work registering many trips, including some to distant places like Arizona.
Louise participated with us in the Christmas Bird Counts as long as she could, including those at Stuyvesant Town and the Cove. It was she who found the Varied Thrush during one CBC. She loved Doodletown, and we shared many joyful moments there among the birds, butterflies, and other denizens of its enchanting woodland. She also devoted time to Keep Conservation, a grassroots organization started by her friend Linda Atkins. It is devoted to preserving and upgrading donated and purchased land for birds and other animal and plant species. In addition to being an expert birder, Louise was an accomplished folk dancer, with a repertoire that included both international and American dances.
She birded with us until mid-July of 2021. On our final trip she saw the Little Blue Heron. On July 28, 2021, she departed for Holland. We always kept in touch, and she sent us pictures of Dutch butterflies.
The bulk of our happy bird memories include Louise. We will miss her each time we go to Central Park. She will also be missed by the many other friends she made here, by her spouse, and by her family in Holland. Her special energy will always be remembered. At the end, she sent us all her love, and that love will always remain with us.
— Anne Lazarus and Miriam Rakowski