Meet a Mount Allison family
When Doug (’80) and Catherine (MacQuade) Fraser (’80) gather for family photos and holiday celebrations, they also bring together generations of proud Mount Allison alumni.
Doug and Catherine grew up in Moncton and now live in Calgary. All three of Doug and Catherine’s daughters attended Mount Allison. Doug’s dad, Donald Fraser (’46), and an uncle, Ralston King (’53), are Mount Allison graduates. And Catherine’s sister, Nancy (MacQuade) Webb (’81), also attended.
“Our whole family has great memories of being at Mount A,” says Doug.
Doug credits Mount Allison professors Dan Patridge and Nick DeVos for creating learning experiences that were foundational to his successful career as a chartered accountant. While a student, Doug also served as business manager with The Argosy, found time to coach a pee wee football team in Sackville to a provincial championship, and, in his final year, played football for the Mounties.
Catherine was a copyeditor with The Argosy and served two years as a floor monitor in Edwards House. She was also engaged in the local and regional community as a volunteer and leader through her church.
Community service has always been important to Doug and Catherine, and the couple have volunteered for many organizations over the years.
Today, the couple helps lead their community association in Calgary, which provides activities and programs for all ages and has hosted the largest volunteer-run Stampede Breakfast in the city.
“It’s satisfying to be able to use the skills I developed in my career for the benefit of the community,” says Doug.
Doug and Catherine are proud their daughters share their value of community service.
“I know for our girls, Mount Allison was a place where they were able to grow their volunteerism — our daughters took on leadership roles in residence and student government,” says Catherine.
During the past few years, Doug and Catherine have increased their focus on philanthropy. After discussing giving options with Mount Allison staff, the couple decided to support career transition and internship opportunities for Meighen Centre students. The Centre supports Mount Allison students with disabilities.
“We made a contribution in 2018 and it was put to immediate use,” says Doug. “A student was able to complete an internship project in Ottawa that summer and he sent us a thank you letter sharing his story.”
When Catherine’s father, Bob, passed away in 2020, his will included bequests to several charities. This inspired Doug and Catherine to include legacy gifts in their own wills. The couple created the Doug and Catherine Fraser Family Scholarships to support students from Alberta to attend Mount Allison.
The couple decided to make a one-time donation to their scholarship fund to get it up and running now and are planning to make additional annual contributions. Their wills also include bequests to the scholarship fund. Two initial scholarships were recently awarded.
“I am incredibly thankful for the support from the Fraser family,” says scholarship recipient Sam Lutz, a biochemistry student who plays guard for the Mounties men’s basketball team.
“Mount Allison has done an amazing job in supporting us in our charitable giving,” says Catherine. “We genuinely feel that our gifts are appreciated and are making a difference.”