Doris Jean Frazier

Doris Jean Barrett was born on Sunday, May 30, 1937: Memorial Day. She was the first child of Fred Obie Barrett and Fostoria Threadgill Barrett. Memphis, Tennessee, where her maternal grandparents lived, was Doris’ birthplace. However, she soon moved to Greenville, Mississippi, where her mother Fostoria was raised.

 

When Fred Barrett was away fighting in World War II, Doris Jean and Fostoria resided with Fostoria’s father, Reverend Edward James Threadgill, at 510 Nelson, in Greenville. Doris Threadgill, Fostoria’s sister, for whom Doris Jean was named, also lived with them in the Nelson home.

 

When World War II ended, Fred was part of The Great Migration of blacks who left the South to seek better opportunities in the North. The Barretts relocated to Detroit, Michigan first living in an apartment at 2636 Merrick. The Barrett family grew and at 4 years old, Doris became a big sister to Fred Obie, Jr. Just 15 months later, Carl Owen arrived and Lawrence Dalton rounded out the trio of boys, another 15 months later. It took more than 12 years for their younger sister, Vicki Lynn, to join the family. The burgeoning brood moved to 15368 Lasalle, the two bedroom home, with its attic loft, would be ground zero for Doris’ formative years.

 

Young Doris was gregarious, quick and, as the oldest, loved being in charge. She developed a talent for speaking at an early age, both at church and in school. As a girl she appeared in a popular African American newspaper, The Pittsburgh Courier, for her performance in Columbian Elementary school’s three-act operetta, “Sunny.”  Doris played Coralie, Queen of Happyland. She later attended Durfee Elementary Middle School.

 

At Carter Metropolitan, the family’s church home, Doris took frequent part in plays and special events and eventually became a member of the Hostess Board with weekly announcement, fundraiser and social duties.

 

Doris was hired by Michigan Bell Telephone Company when she was still in high school and worked there continuously for the next 33 years. Doris graduated from Cass Technical High School in 1955.

It was at Carter Metropolitan that Doris met Elihu Jackson a civil engineer  and church Sunday school teacher.  They married in 1960 and Doris gave birth to her first child, Michele Lynn Jackson, in 1963. In an early gender discrimination victory, when Michigan Bell tried to demote Doris and other young women upon their return from maternity leave, they fought back and were awarded retroactive pay. Of course, as a black woman who started working at Michigan Bell in 1955 that wasn’t the first form of employment discrimination Doris had experienced.

 

Doris never retreated from a challenge, but she couldn’t win them all. Sadly, the Jacksons’ marriage  did not last. After her divorce, Doris found love again and married Philip Toby Reece. She gave birth to her second child, Philip Christopher Reece, in 1967. Throughout her life, Doris possessed an effervescent personality and commanded attention. She loved to laugh.  She was never an especially rhythmic dancer, but that did not keep her from taking the floor and making her moves look effortless. She regularly attended music concerts and Detroit theater productions. She made friends easily and was known for her confident assurance, whether she was presiding at an AT & T seminar or hosting a backyard cookout at her home.

 

 She never stopped trying new things, be it a brief foray into golfing, obtaining her real estate license or becoming a certified IRS tax preparer. She bought two rental homes for income property. She wasn’t afraid to dabble and learn new skills. Once, she and a neighbor even tried their hands (and hips) at belly-dancing and she always kept a large canister of pennies in her closet, in case friends dropped by for a fun game of Michigan Rummy.

 

After moving up the ladder to become a Michigan Bell marketing account executive and, then, part of its Corporate Communications staff, Doris retired from Bell in 1990 and started her own telecommunications consulting company, Alpha Project Management.

 

In 1998 the seeds Doris planted so long ago at Carter Metropolitan once again sprouted to change her life. She married Charles Frazier whose family had also grown up at Carter. Charles and Doris had never interacted much as youth, but found love in their sixties. They married and Doris moved out to Greensboro, North Carolina where Charles had a medical practice. Tragedy struck during the next 10 years, during which Doris battled colon cancer and survived, but she lost her beloved son Chris (Philip Christopher), as well as her father, mother and brother Lawrence.

 

However, there was happiness blended with sorrow. Doris loved being grandmother to Chris’ daughters Mindy Marie and Cristin Nicole. She also served as “Mimi” to Charles’ ten grandchildren and the blended families enjoyed many summer beach vacations together.

 

In 2010, Doris returned to Michigan and quickly found new employment in her “retirement” years. She worked steadily until 2017.

 

Once she left the job, Doris enjoyed the extra leisure time and her most loved past time was sitting pouring quarters into the slots at her favorite casinos, in downtown Detroit.  However, Covid-19 hit in 2020 and the city shut down. Under quarantine, Doris was isolated from friends and family. Her outings downtown or to the neighborhood senior center suddenly ended.  She’d long had Parkinson’s Disease symptoms and controlled them with medicine, but they worsened during the lockdown. In 2021, she moved to California to be near her daughter, Michele. She passed away on the morning of May 9, 2026.

 

Doris is survived by her daughter, Michele Jackson; her granddaughters Mindy Rembert and Cristin Starghill; great grandchildren Rheanna, Aaliyah, Carmen, Carly, Jelani, Stephon and Kobe; brothers Fred Barrett (Robin Fraser) and Carl Barrett; sister Vicki Sanders (David); and cousin Barbara Robinson, along with a host of nieces, nephews and friends.