Fraser Dukes, who was a member of Wolverhampton Rotary, died last May.
He was a great Rotarian who was much respected and admired; he received many awards for his lifelong devotion to the Rotary ethic of service above self.
Fraser played a significant role on the Rotary committee established in 1979 for the formation of the Compton Hospice in Wolverhampton, which was opened in 1982 by the Duchess of Kent.
leading Rotarian Fraser Dukes died the day after his 93rd birthday. Now, in his memory, a commemorative plaque has been placed.
Within Rotary, Fraser was the President of Wolverhampton Rotary in 1983/84, District Governor in 1996/97 and a member of the Rotary in Great Britain National Foundation Committee in 1997/98.
His notable achievements included heading up the District 1210 Rotary Foundation campaign for the eradication of polio from the day of its start in 1985 until the day he passed on to higher service.
An appeal was launched to fund the placing of a commemorative plaque on Rotary Ridge at the National Memorial Arboretum.
Such was the respect in which Fraser was held, that the appeal reached its target in just five days. A substantial excess of the money subsequently received has been donated to Rotary’s End Polio Now campaign.
The plaque now stands in the beautiful and peaceful surroundings of Rotary Ridge.
His notable achievements included heading up the District 1210 Rotary Foundation campaign for the eradication of polio from the day of its start in 1985 until the day he passed on to higher service.”
Fraser was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship (PHF) in 1988, followed by a PHF Sapphire in 2000 and a PHF Ruby in 2010.
In April 2014, he received the Rotary International Service Above Service Award – the highest honour in Rotary in recognition of his tireless devotion to the cause of polio elimination.
A maximum of only 150 such awards are made every year across the whole Rotary world. This was followed, in 2016, by the Rotary Foundation’s Distinguished Service Award.
