Obituary of Jocelyn Fravel

All the world's a stage, and Jocelyn Rogers Fravel took her final bow on January 13. For 92 years, she perfected her witty, whacky, whimsical character, blending Lucy Ricardo and Mother Teresa into a one-of-a-kind personality. Born in 1921 in the southern Philippines to the American military governor, Paul D Rogers, and his wife, Mathilde, Jocelyn enjoyed a fantasy childhood complete with tropical waters, white sands, and endless coconuts. The Japanese invasion of the Philippines and World War II, however, put an end to paradise, as Jocelyn, her mother, and her four siblings were interned in Santo Tomas, a civilian concentration camp in Manila, for three years. She was never to see her father again, but the rest of her family survived. In February 1945, Santo Tomas was liberated by American troops, and the first soldier Jocelyn met was a young rascal named Bill Fravel, whom she loved at first sight. Their children would later speculate that after three years of imprisonment, she would have swooned over Toulouse-Lautrec. But Jocelyn proved tenacious, and her marriage to Bill lasted 58 years until his death in 2004. He was her knight in shining armor. In 1946, Jocelyn and Bill settled in Santa Cruz, where Jo raised four children with the devotion of a lioness on steroids. She never held a job. (All right, she sold Avon once, but lost money because she couldn't bring herself to charge her customers.) She never did anything newsworthy. (Actually, she has a street named after her: Jocelyn Court in Carbonera Estates, on the site of the Fravel homestead.) She was no June Cleaver-cooking, sewing, cleaning were skills she never conquered. But Jocelyn made her mark by elevating quirkiness to an art form. A contradiction disguised as a paradox, she could be fearless one moment, then terrified the next; she could launch into a dizzying drama, only to finish it up with flash of hilarity. Her sense of humor and timing were impeccable; her sense of tragedy deep and undiminished; and always, there was her absolute devotion to her Catholic faith. Her children grew up knowing that they were deeply loved and that she would, if she had to, sleep on a bed of nails for the rest of her life to save them from Hell. Jocelyn loved gambling, playing cards, and fishing; she played a wicked Trivial Pursuit and Name That Tune; she was known for her whistling; and she absolutely loved to sing. But her favorite past time, perhaps, was indulging in the dramatic. It was a Christmas tradition that each year Jocelyn would announce over dinner: "You know, this will be my last Christmas. I will be dead by next year." And each year everyone would laugh over her prediction. To the very end, Jocelyn insisted that her epitaph read: "I Told You I Was Sick." Next Christmas, her family will toast her long life and finally acquiesce. "Okay, Mom, you were right after all." Jocelyn is survived by her children, Bill Jr and his wife, Marilyn; John and his wife, Carol; Jane and her husband, Michael; Wayne (her favorite) and his wife, Linda; grandchildren Jill Thompson, Scott Fravel, Emery Fravel, Keith Gordon; great-grandchildren Connor, Jadon, Lacy, Hannah, Joshua, Judah, Josiah, and Jeremiah; brother Charles Rogers, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Jocelyn also leaves behind the caring staff at Kindred Santa Cruz (especially you, Dolores!), who recognized Jocelyn's wit and warmth and who showered her with love during her final months. Thank you, all! Bill used to tease, "Jo, I swear you'll be late for your own funeral." Indeed, Jocelyn was never on time for anything. She always insisted, however, that this character flaw saved her life during the war-she was heading for a bomb shelter in Manila when she stopped to straighten the seam in her nylon; moments later, the shelter suffered a direct hit. She loved to say, "If I'd been on time, I'd be dead." In her honor, the funeral service will begin at 10 AM; Jocelyn will arrive at 10:15. Recitation of the Holy Rosary will be on Thursday evening, January 16th at Benito and Azzaro Pacific Gardens Chapel beginning at 7:00 p.m. Mass of the Resurrection will be on Friday, January 17, 2014 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church (435 Monterey Ave.) in Capitola beginning at 10 a.m. She will be laid to rest beside her beloved husband Bill, at Oakwood Memorial Park in Santa Cruz. If you would like to light a candle for Jo and share your thoughts and prayers, please visit www.pacificgardenschapel.com.