Lady Marion Anne Fraser (née Forbes; 17 October 1932 – 25 December 2016) was a Scottish music educator.

Personal life

Fraser was the daughter of Elizabeth Taylor Watt and Robert Forbes. She was attended school in Glasgow at Hutchesons' Girls' Grammar School, going on to the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

in 1950, to study for an MA. While a student at the university, she was elected president of the

Queen Margaret Union The Queen Margaret Union (QMU) is one of two students' unions at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1890, it caters to the social and cultural needs of its members by providing a range of services including volunteering opportuni ...

. She then attended the

Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland ( gd, Conservatoire Rìoghail na h-Alba), formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama ( gd, Acadamaidh Rìoghail Ciùil is Dràma na h-Alba) is a conservatoire of dance, drama, music, production, and ...

where she studied piano. In 1956, she married

William Kerr Fraser Sir William Kerr Fraser (18 March 1929 – 13 September 2018) was a British civil servant, who served as Permanent Secretary at the Scottish Office, and as Principal and later Chancellor of the University of Glasgow. Early life William Kerr ...

, a former president of the

Glasgow University Students' Representative Council The Glasgow University Students' Representative Council, also known simply as the Students' Representative Council or by the acronyms GUSRC and SRC is a student union at the University of Glasgow. Unlike at other universities in the United Kin ...

and at the time a junior civil servant at the

Scottish Office The Scottish Office was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom from 1885 until 1999, exercising a wide range of government functions in relation to Scotland under the control of the Secretary of State for Scotland. Following the e ...

. He went on to become

permanent secretary A permanent secretary (also known as a principal secretary) is the most senior Civil Service (United Kingdom), civil servant of a department or Ministry (government department), ministry charged with running the department or ministry's day-to-day ...

there, and later principal and then

Chancellor of the University of Glasgow The Chancellor is the titular head of the University of Glasgow and President of the General Council, by whom they are elected. The office is intended to be held for life. Their principal duty is to confer degrees upon those presented to them by ...

. The couple had three sons and one daughter.

Career

Fraser worked as a music teacher and became director of St Mary's Music School in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

from 1989 to 1995, as well as being founding chair of the Friends of the

Royal Scottish Academy The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) is the country’s national academy of art. It promotes contemporary Scottish art. The Academy was founded in 1826 by eleven artists meeting in Edinburgh. Originally named the Scottish Academy, it became the ...

from 1986 to 1989, a governor of the former

Laurel Bank School Laurel may refer to: Plants * Lauraceae, the laurel family * Laurel (plant), including a list of trees and plants known as laurel People * Laurel (given name), people with the given name * Laurel (surname), people with the surname * Laurel (m ...

for Girls from 1988 to 1995 and a Director of

Scottish Opera Scottish Opera is the national opera company of Scotland, and one of the five national performing arts companies of Scotland. Founded in 1962 and based in Glasgow, it is the largest performing arts organisation in Scotland. History Scottish Op ...

from 1990 to 1994. In 1996, shortly after stepping down as Director of St. Mary's, she was created a Lady of the

Order of the Thistle The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland, who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order. The ...

. Her husband had been created a Knight Commander of the

Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved Bathing#Medieval ...

in 1979 (and subsequently elevated within the order to Knight Grand Cross), entitling her to be addressed as Lady Fraser; however, she now became Lady Marion Fraser in her own right. Fraser had been a trustee of the Scottish Churches Architectural Heritage Trust since 1989, and President of Scotland's Churches Scheme since 1997. She was trustee of the Lamp of Lothian Collegiate Trust from 1996 to 2005, and chairman of the Board of

Christian Aid Christian Aid is the relief and development agency of 41 Christian (Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox) churches in the UK and Ireland, and works to support sustainable development, eradicate poverty, support civil society and provide disaster ...

from 1990 to 1997, and of both the Scottish International Piano Competition and the Scottish Association for Mental Health from 1995 to 1999. She served as

Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland The Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the Scottish monarch's personal representative to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (the Kirk), reflecting the Church's role as the national church of ...

from 1994 to 1995. Fraser was made an Honorary Member of the

Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh, previously known as the Merchant Company of Edinburgh is a merchant, mercantile company and Guild officially recognised in 1681, but dating back to at least 1260. The Company, or Confrater ...

in 1998 and an Honorary Fellow of the

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, is an institute of physicians and surgeons in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by Peter Lowe after receiving a royal charter by James VI in 1599, as the Glasgow Faculty, it originally exist ...

in 2002, and was awarded an honorary

LL.D. Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the early ...

degree by the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

in 1995 and an honorary D.Univ. degree by the

University of Stirling The University of Stirling (, gd, Oilthigh Shruighlea (abbreviated as Stir or Shruiglea, in post-nominals) is a public university in Stirling, Scotland, founded by royal charter in 1967. It is located in the Central Belt of Scotland, built w ...

in 1998. She died at St Columba's Hospice, Edinburgh, on 25 December 2016.

Arms

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fraser, Marion 1932 births 2016 deaths Alumni of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Alumni of the University of Glasgow Ladies of the Thistle Lords High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland People educated at Hutchesons' Grammar School Place of birth missing Scottish music educators Scottish schoolteachers 20th-century Scottish educators 21st-century Scottish educators