You can tell the kind of man Eddie Fraser is just by looking at photos of him. In almost every one, he’s not just smiling; this guy is beaming. It’s clear Edward Fraser loves life and loves people. No wonder: he’s had a special life himself.

Born in Islip, the middle child of six children, Eddie was a travelin’ kid. His dad drove cross-country trucks and would take Eddie with him all over the U.S. 

“This was an amazing experience for me,” Eddie says.” It gave me a perspective on life that I would never have had without it.” His mother was a banker which may account for Eddie’s ability with numbers and finances.

His family was not just big and busy, they are very close. In fact, every Friday night his Italian grandmother would cook for the family AND for the entire neighborhood. Anywhere from twenty to thirty kids (and their parents) swarmed into the Fraser house for her pizzas and zeppolis. It was a tradition, one that Eddie loved. This may account for how Eddie learned to be such an excellent cook.

Eddie went to Islip schools, then as a young man set out for Galveston, Texas where he worked at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Accounts Payable. A few years later he moved to Port Charlotte, Florida to be closer to friends and family.  

Eddie was interested in learning more about the restaurant industry.  To get to know the area and the business, he took a job waiting tables at a very popular Gulf Coast restaurant called The Greenery. He quickly moved up through the ranks and ended up purchasing the restaurant within six months. After 13 years he decided to sell the business and move closer to the shore.  

Ready for the next chapter, he moved to Sarasota and the Gulf Coast beaches where he coincidently ran into an old friend from up north – it was his old boss who had given him his very first job working at McDonald’s at age 14.  This chance encounter resulted in Eddie becoming the regional director at his friend’s three Florida restaurants for the next 12 years.  

Around that time, he decided to visit his brother and sister-in-law in Atlanta for Gay Pride Day.  There he met Thomas Anderson, someone he had known (sort of) for years. Thomas was Eddie’s brother’s best friend growing up and was a constant name in their house for many years. Meeting him in person something really clicked -- they’re still together after 22 years and now married four years. In 2004, they moved north to be closer to family and old friends. 

Returning to New York, Eddie began his career at Southside Hospital in the pension room.  There he met Winnie who was the executive director.  He discovered that although he was great with numbers and balance sheets, he loved caring for patients even more.  Winnie gave him the opportunity to work in Nursing Education and be closer to the patients he loved.  Seeing his passion and his bedside manner, she pushed him to go to nursing school.  But together they realized that his good sense with business management and superb skills with numbers meant he’d be best pursuing his degree in healthcare administration.  

As he had in every job before this, Eddie threw himself into school and obtained not only his bachelor’s degree but immediately began working on his master’s degree in Healthcare Administration.  Today, Eddie is Corporate Vice President of Community Relations at Northwell, and has been charged with finding opportunities for growth in the organization and also within our local communities.

“Winnie was the engine behind my wonderful career at Southside Hospital. She supported me in my next role as Regional Director and now on the corporate leadership team for Northwell Health,” he says. 

In Cherry Grove, Eddie’s husband Thomas met Joanne Tavis who for years led the Doctor’s House Committee, and increasingly had trouble attracting medical staff to the Elmer Lindsay Clinic on Doctors Walk. What was once a dream summer job for doctors was now growing harder to staff year over year. As true visionaries, Eddie and Joanne brainstormed and were able to take Joanne’s dream of what the Doctor’s House could be and turn it into a true tangible asset. Over a drink at the Ice Palace, Eddie and Joanne talked about the feasibility of Northwell taking over the struggling clinic here in the Grove.

“The idea intrigued me since we had a similar facility in Ocean Beach,” he says. “Northwell wanted to grow and this was a perfect opportunity.” 

Most people don’t know that Northwell is a not-for-profit corporation. Although Northwell doesn’t generate a profit from operating these local facilities, they are a part of the organization’s mission.  

“We get back so much more in patient health and good will that it’s actually a valuable investment. Besides, Thomas and I live here, we love this community and all the people of Cherry Grove.”

Northwell invested in the building and began renovating and upgrading the doctor’s house to make it a true state-of-the-art, well-equipped, well-staffed and attractive immediate care facility.  This is a tremendously important asset for the health and quality of life in Cherry Grove. 

Eddie and Thomas support the Arts Project each year by sponsoring the beautiful calendar of events you all receive in your homes.

Thanks, Eddie, for who you are and all you do. Keep beaming.