Fraser M. Fell (June 17, 1928 – April 23, 2020) lived a life dedicated to the Baptist denomination and the higher education related to it. He graduated from McMaster University in 1949, prior to the split between McMaster Divinity College (MDC) and McMaster University. It was at McMaster that he met his wife, Margot Fell, his wife of 64 years before her passing in 2017.
Fraser went on from McMaster to study law and work in finance, and was a strong leader in Canada’s mining and financial industries. Regardless of his successful career, Fraser volunteered his leadership expertise, supporting a number of Baptist churches through the years and serving as Solicitor and Counsellor for MDC’s founding denomination, the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec (now CBOQ). Fraser joined MDC’s Board of Trustees in May 1966 and served for 15 years, in part as Chairman. It was from there that Fraser went on to serve on the Board of Governors for McMaster University and the Ecumenical Foundation for Theological Education.
In 1987, Fraser was awarded the Doctor of Letters by McMaster University upon the recommendation of MDC at a joint Convocation of the two institutions. In the words of the university Chancellor at that time, “He has served with true Christian witness, vigour, and charity, the legal community, the Baptist community, the McMaster community and the business community of this country.”
We remember Fraser M. Fell for his firm dedication to theological education and for his work to further the mission set out by Senator William McMaster at our inception in 1881.