Errol Roy "Buck" Frazier

Retired Lieutenant Colonel Errol Roy “Buck” Frazier, 84, of Enterprise, Alabama, died peacefully at home August 2, 2024. The family will hold a private service with military honors. 

Buck was born July 7, 1940, in Kankakee, Illinois, the son of Colonel LeRoy and Mary Frazier. He spent much of his childhood living in Europe with his family while his father was stationed in Germany. His father was an avid outdoorsman and gave his only son the nickname “Buckshot,” eventually shortened to “Buck,” which is how he was known for the rest of his life. He graduated from Fort Knox High School in 1958 and attended Western Kentucky University before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1961. He’d later graduate from Troy State University with a degree in Business Administration.

While in flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama, Buck met his future wife, Sara Mac (Mackie) Nichols. Buck and Mac married April 11, 1964, and spent their first few years of Army life in Germany. Buck deployed to Vietnam from 1966-67 as a fixed-wing pilot. In 1969, he volunteered for a second tour and served as a rotary-wing pilot. Buck never talked much about his time in Vietnam, but his family later learned of his numerous acts of heroism from several fellow Soldiers who called in the following years to thank him for saving their lives. Following his retirement from the Army in September 1981, he worked as a flight instructor/commander at Fort Rucker until 2008. Buck was proud to serve his country and was awarded with numerous medals for his achievements, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star with several Oak Leaf Clusters, the Legion of Merit and multiple Air Medals.

Buck is preceded in death by his parents, Retired Colonel LeRoy and Mary Frazier; sister, Sherry Lain; and sister, Sandra Fogh.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Mackie Frazier, Enterprise; two sons, Chris (Kristin) Frazier, Dothan, and Dan (Dawn) Frazier, Birmingham; and three grandchildren, Addison Frazier and Ella Frazier, Birmingham, and Leighton Frazier, Dothan. 

For those who didn’t know him well, Buck was an imposing figure. However, those close to him saw that beneath his gruff exterior was a kind and extremely generous man who loved his family big and was loved greatly in return. He will be so missed.