It is with sadness we advise of the passing of Douglas Culton Fraser (1936-2024) from complications with COVID. Douglas is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Aloisia Hemma Fraser, who was by his side, holding his hand up to the end. He is also survived by his brother David Fraser and wife Liz (Kennedy); proud dad to his children Judy (Stephen Morson), David (Leslie Robertson), Bruce (Lisa Semenoff); loving Papa/Tata to Jennifer (Dan Aziz), Kirsten (Jeremy Heersink), Lucas (Gwen Gorham), Peter, Joshua, Anika, Maria, Pablo, Angelica, Manny and Great Papa to Isla, Rosie and Logan.

Doug was born in Montreal to parents Grace and Paul Fraser. His love for nature and the outdoors was learned at a young age with summers spent in Saint Eustache, Quebec and then later at the family compound in Bayswater, New Brunswick, where he would fish, swim, trap and roam the forest with his brother David by his side.

Doug earned his BSc. and MSc. degrees in geology from the University of New Brunswick. During that time, he met Hemma and fell madly in love, proposing and married a year later. Doug would later graduate with a Ph.D. in geophysics from the University of California at Berkeley.

Doug joined Teck Corp. in 1966 as chief geophysicist. There he pioneered the development of the DIGHEM helicopter-borne frequency-domain (HFEM) systems, revolutionizing airborne geophysical exploration. His innovations included the renowned Fraser Filter, a simple yet powerful algorithm for data analysis, which became a standard in electromagnetic surveying. Doug would later buy DIGHEM and under his continued leadership, DIGHEM expanded globally, weathering industry cycles and extending operations to Africa and Australia. His wife Hemma always by his side managed the business details. They would later go on to sell DIGHEM and retire, where Doug was heard to say, “I didn’t think I could be happy without geophysics every day, but I am!”

Doug's exceptional contributions to exploration geophysics led to his recognition as an honorary member of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) in 2015, underscoring his transformative impact in the field.

Throughout his life Doug always made it a priority to spend time with his family be it outdoor street hockey, family picnics to parks around Lake Ontario or the yearly sojourns to Florida and Bayswater. Later in life it would include time spent at the “farm” in Grey Bruce County where Doug would tend to the woods and Hemma the gardens, enjoying many walks or cross-country ski outings with his family. A great Papa/Tata, he loved spending time with his grandchildren over a game of chess or having them climb all over him for some tickle torture. To his children and grandchildren, he would often be seen conferring with them; offering wise counsel and guidance on life's matters. With his friends and family, Doug, an avid reader, loved to sit and chat about the economy, politics or life over a glass of scotch.

The family sends a special thanks to his wonderful caregivers and the kind staff at Chartwell Lansing. The family will hold a funeral service with reception to follow on August 22, 2024, 11:00 AM at the York Cemetery, 160 Beecroft Road, North York. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to Parkinson Canada in his honour.