William Dennis “Billy” Fraser, age 77, passed away on November 2, 2025. He was born on March 27, 1948, in Arcata, and spent his life rooted in the values of hard work, adventure, and family.

Billy was preceded in death by his parents, Bruce and Marie Fraser; his brothers, Kenneth and Robert Fraser; his sister, Marjorie Burgess; his beloved daughter, Sabrina Fraser; and his grandson, Dakota Fraser.

He is survived by his loving wife, DaVita Fraser; his son, Blane Welnack of Texas; and his daughter, Shanna and her husband, Matthew Morrill. He is also survived by his stepchildren, Angel Henderson and Michael Smither of Blue Lake, and Holley Davis of Eureka. Billy leaves behind seven grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, one niece and two nephews.

Known to many simply as “Billy,” he proudly joined the United States Navy in 1965, serving aboard the USS Enterprise. After his military service, Billy built a long and respected career in the logging industry. He worked as a truck driver and tree feller, later operating cranes for North Coast Fabricators. Billy bought his first lumber truck in the late nineties and became an owner-operator, eventually retiring as a logging truck driver for Wayne Bare Trucking. His strong work ethic and mechanical skill were evident in everything he did.

Billy was a man of many passions. He loved building and flying radio-controlled airplanes, gold mining in the Happy Camp area, and proudly became a clamper, embracing the camaraderie and history that came with it. An avid outdoorsman, he found joy in camping, hunting, and fishing, and he especially treasured the many road trips he took with DaVita on their Harley-Davidson. Billy also had a creative and inventive mind, often spending hours in metal fabrication, bringing new ideas and inventions to life.

Above all, Billy will be remembered for his generous spirit, adventurous heart, sense of humor and the love he had for his family and friends. His stories, singing around the campfire, craftsmanship and presence will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

A celebration of life will be held at Blue Lake Community Church on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at 12 p.m., followed by a reception at the Mad River Grange in Blue Lake.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Billy Fraser’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.