Carl R. Fravel, age 100, died peacefully in his Audubon home of natural causes on May 21 st, 2020 .

Predeceased in 2017 by his wife, Anne, after nearly 75 years of marriage, he leaves behind a brother-in-law, Richard Hurd, as well as three nieces and three nephews.

Mr. Fravel was born and raised in Lock Haven, PA until he volunteered to serve in WW II, entering the US Navy in 1944.  For his valiant service he was awarded two bronze stars. After the war Carl and Anne relocated to the Philadelphia area where he worked as a Procurement Administrator with the Department of Defense.  He was also employed, on a part time basis, with the Marine Services Bureau of the NJ State Police.

For the past three years Carl resided at the United Methodist Communities - Collingswood until he was placed on hospice and was then moved back to his home of 67 years.  For many years, he and Anne were looked after by their longtime friend and neighbor, Judy Krwawecz .  He will also be sadly missed by other close friends, including Margaret Butkus and Michael McGinty.

Due to the current situation involving the pandemic, funeral services will be deferred until a later date.  At that point Carl and Anne will both be buried together at sea with full military honors as conducted by the US Navy.

Arrangements by the FOSTER-WARNE FUNERAL HOME, Audubon and Collingswood, NJ.

Carl was one of the last survivors of the USS Eldorado, a US Navy ship, which was pivotal in the capturing of the Island of Iwo Jima during WW II. This is the famous battle which is best remembered for the photo of the six US Marines raising the flag on top of Mount Suribachi. After several more months of training in the Philippines his ship was stationed off the coast of Japan, awaiting the planned invasion by the Allied Forces. Fortunately, Japan surrendered, and the war was over.

This was a quiet man who was a fine example of The Greatest Generation. His love of God, Country and his family was done in a quiet and deliberate manner. He lovingly cared for his wife Anne for her last few years as she suffered from dementia until she passed away in 2017. This was less than two months before her 100th birthday. Carl and Anne were also very generous to many charitable organizations.

While he slowed down in his later years, due to poor eyesight and hearing, Carl had a remarkable intellect and all his mental skills. After sitting with him and listening to his life stories, he could recall distinct conversations we had many years before. He was thoroughly impressed by modern technology, especially my ability to secure almost any fact from my smartphone.

For his last Christmas, at the age of 100, we gave him an Amazon Alexa. Although he could not see the unit, he quickly learned how to ask her to perform specific commands. Things like, "How is the weather? What did the stock market do today?" and many other small tasks. However, his greatest pleasure from it was the ability to play his favorite songs from his younger days.

I will deeply miss him, as will much of my family. This is especially true for my grandson Billy, who enjoyed accompanying me while visiting with him at UMC-Collingswood.

Rest in peace my friend.

Michael McGinty

June 05, 2020 | Sewell, NJ | Friend