The Robert E. Frazier Tri-City Area Charitable Grant Foundation, Inc. is a private foundation established in 2011 to make grants to domestic 501(c)(3) organizations that primarily benefit the city and citizenry of Cumberland, Kentucky, as well as the tri-city area of Cumberland, Benham, and Lynch, Kentucky.

 

The Foundation is the legacy of Cumberland resident Bob Frazier, who passed away on October 26, 2007, at the age of 87.  Frazier was the 20th resident of the city and his parents, Enoch and Lillie Frazier opened Cumberland’s first general store. He was a longtime business owner who founded the R.E. “Bob” Frazier Insurance Agency in 1946, which continues to operate today. He was married to the late Anna Laura Carnahan Frazier.

Frazier had a humble beginning as a newspaper deliverer but eventually landed a job with a local insurance company. Working under Bert Ed Pollitte, Frazier impressed Pollitte so much that he offered to help him start his own insurance company and even trained his workers. In 2003, Frazier was awarded the National Leadership Award by the Business Advisory Council, Washington, D.C., in recognition of his outstanding performance in the business community. Frazier traveled to countries around the world but always said, “I can visit anywhere but I always want to come home to Cumberland.” 

 

A Mason and an honorary Kentucky Colonel, Frazier was a dedicated community leader serving as Cumberland Rotary Club president and as a member of the Lions Club, BB&T Bank Board of Directors, and the Cumberland Missionary Baptist Church. The establishment of the Robert E. Frazier Tri-City Area Charitable Grant Foundation, LLC is a testament to his love for the communities of Cumberland, Benham, and Lynch and his desire to support improvements and enhancements to the area. The Tri-City Area is deeply grateful for his generosity.