Lydia “Lilly” Amanda Frazier

     Lydia Amanda Frazier, lovingly known as Lilly was born on July 17, 1938 in Jamaica, West Indies, to the late William and Mary Griffiths of Jamaica. She was the first of 9 girls. Lilly graduated from Broadleaf Primary School and Manchester Secondary School. She loved math and entrepreneurship. After leaving her parents’ house at the tender age of 18 she worked in homes helping families so that she could support her younger siblings, parents, and extended family. She studied dress making and sewed clothes for many events. She had a huge desire to make more money and looked for any opportunity that could provide better wages for her growing family and District of Porus.
     She worked fervently at Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital where she saw many in need and developed an affinity to help those with behavioral problems. While working, her father died leaving her mother and 8 siblings in a 2 room house.
     Lilly, ever more dedicated to help her family, worked tirelessly and was devoted to add on 4 more rooms and a kitchen providing kerosene oil stove and new improved clothing and furniture for her family. She had one daughter, Monica whom she left with her mother, Mary to raise while she intensely worked to provide for the family.
     In 1968, at the tender age of 30, she migrated to the United States landing in Cincinnati, Ohio where she fervently worked tending to children. She came to Cincinnati in the dead winter with three home-sewn dresses in a small bag.
     Within a year of being in Ohio, Lilly, ever more zealous, bought her first 2 family home, got her driver’s license, opened a bank account, and received a new lease on life. Now she finally had the things she had long desired. Lilly would send barrels of goods for her family as well as influential members in her district. Her family remembers the Christmas-like joy they felt when a barrel came from her which was filled with care, thought, and love.  Lilly believed in education and paid for higher education at West Indies College for her daughter and sisters Mavis and Peggy. Lilly’s desire was to become a nurse but she postponed this in order to provide for her family. She worked 7 days a week and landed many entrepreneurship buying multi-family apart-ments and homes. She was not formerly trained in Real Estate but learned quickly that she had a gift with numbers and management of properties. She was enthusiastic, keen, intense, and a fierce risk taker with investing.

She soon met and married James Frazier. She loved horse racing and outings with friends. She also worked for the Catholic Archdiocese where she retired at 62. She traded those outings and James for the Lord at the age of 48 when she joined First Pentecostal Apostolic Church on Knowlton Street in Northside. She was baptized in Jesus name and filled with the Holy Ghost. Lilly loved to travel, eat all kinds of foods, shop, entrepreneurship, her church and her family. She remained in her church until her death on July 8, 2018.
     Lilly was preceded in death by her sister, Gwendolyn. She leaves to cherish her memory: her beloved sisters, Pearl, Girline, Daphne, Joyce, Peggy, Mavis and Petalyn; one daughter, Monica; seven grandchild-ren, Stacy, Secole (Keshia), Roshanda, Tamica, Carmella, Jahsen and Givon; 9 great-grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and loving friends.
     Lilly was loved by many. She will be absent from her earthly body, but not forgotten.

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