Player Profile
Player Profile
FRASER MCCOLL
(Member and former President of Unit 431)
by Linda Patton
LP: You still have quite a brogue. I presume you were born in Scotland?
FM: Yes. I was born in Perth, Scotland, on June 12, 1925. That makes me 79 years old.
LP: Is that where you were raised?
FM: Yes. I lived in Perth and attended school until the eighth grade when, at 14, I went to work as a message/office boy (junior clerk). I lived in Scotland until I was 22, except for my wartime service in the submarine branch of the Royal Navy as a telegraphist.
LP: I know that you went from Scotland to Maracaibo, Venezuela, in 1948. What precipitated this move?
FM: Well, I had never heard of Venezuela and did not even know where it was. When I got to the customs office in England, the agent asked if I had more than 5£ on my person. In those days, one could not take more than 5£ out of the country. I laughed and said if I had 5£ on me I wouldn’t be leaving the U.K.! However, I had been offered a job as a junior accountant with Price-Waterhouse in Venezuela. I was hired, not for my scholastic abilities, but for my sports abilities and my war record. I was very fortunate to be offered this position as I knew nothing about accounting. It was a learn-as-you-go situation. I worked as an auditor for Shell Oil simultaneously. I loved my job the people and the country.
LP: How did your involvement with Shell Oil come about?
FM: I worked for Price-Waterhouse for three years and the boss, who was a ‘good old Scotsman’, told me that without a degree I would not be going far in the company. Shell liked what I was doing for them so I joined Shell, received training and worked in various departments. That is where I learned about oil field drilling materials.
LP: Did you meet Denise in Venezuela?
FM: Yes. Her father worked for Shell Oil as a senior executive and I met Denise while she was on vacation from a US college. After marriage, we lived there for ten years and all our three children were born in Venezuela.
LM: I wonder if you would relate the amusing anecdote about your father-in-law and the planned marriage to his daughter.
FM: I was not a good catch as far as my father-in-law was concerned. I had no degree, no social background and I was not a Catholic! Denise and I had decided during the summer that we would get married. Denise’s father wanted her to return to University in the States and think this marriage business over. When she returned to Venezuela in early November she made it clear to me and her parents that she wanted to proceed with the wedding. Plans were set for the wedding to take place on December 16, 1951. On the eve of our marriage, her father (who was over six feet tall) asked to see me privately and enquired if I was intent on going through with the ceremony. I replied that I was. He asked if I would become a Catholic. I said no, but if the children wanted to become Catholics, it would be up to them. He then asked how much money I would accept to call off the wedding! And this was at 7 pm the night before the wedding. I told him that the wedding would go ahead as planned and there was no way he could buy me off. However, I regret to this day that I did not ask just how much he was willing to offer! It was some time later when I told Denise about this offer. She was glad I turned him down and we have a good laugh about it to this day. We have been married for 53 years. It all worked out for the best as Denise’s parents and I became very close friends, we did a lot of business together and never had a cross word.
LP: Were your children raised in Venezuela?
FM: When Fraser Jr., the eldest, was nine years old, we sent him to boarding school in Scotland for three years. There were no English-speaking schools in Venezuela at that time. Denise was heartbroken about Fraser moving to Scotland and she advised me none of the other children would leave home for school. It was on the flight back from Scotland that I decided to tell Shell that I would like to make the current contract my last one.
LP: Where did you move to from Venezuela?
FM: At the age of 35 I and the family moved lock, stock and barrel to Houston, Texas, where I started two small oil field equipment companies. While in Texas, I was hired as a consultant by Mr. John W. Mecom, who had his own company and at that time was one of the ten richest men in the world. From 1963 to 1965 I travelled to and worked in Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Gatar, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Oman, Yemen, Nigeria and Jordan. It was during this time that I became a consultant and friend of King Hussein of Jordan.
Denise and the children didn’t settle in very well in Houston so we moved the family to Victoria, where my in-laws were now living in retirement, and I commuted between Victoria and Houston. We had spent our vacations between Scotland and Victoria so we were familiar with this beautiful city. By this time my business had become world wide and I was at home in Victoria for two weeks and then traveling for two weeks. In 1962 we became permanent residents of Canada. All three children attended Willows and then Oak Bay High School. My son obtained an MA in cinematography from the University of Southern California, my elder daughter received her MA in Special Education from Harvard and now teaches at Capilano College in North Vancouver, and my younger daughter is a successful realtor in Victoria. My son joined the family business during the time when I was building a condo in Marco Island, Florida. He and his wife lived in Marco Island and then when I got sick, he returned to Victoria to assist in the running of the family business. He is the person I would have liked to have hired even if he were not my son. He is invaluable and works very hard – takes life too seriously though!
LP: How did you go from oil to construction?
FM: While working in the Middle East I had started two oil field service businesses in Canada, which I was forced to sell in 1989 because of ill health. At just about the same time, I joined a group of six or seven investors in the early stages of the Broadmead development. After four or five years we sold our interest to the Guinness family. I kept my hand in the construction business by partnering with Gordon Rolston, who was the best land developer I have ever known. He and I built quite a few apartment buildings and many houses. We bought the land on what is now known as Wedgewood Estates in Ten Mile Point. The rezoning for this development was quite a hassle between the neighbours and Saanich Municipality. People had come to believe that it was a parkland area when, in fact, it was not. Finally, after many rate payers and counsel meetings, we obtained complete zoning. We are very proud of this and the Broadmead project. I subsequently built many townhomes and houses in Victoria, Nanaimo, Port Alberni, Duncan, Shawnigan Lake and as far north as Port Hardy. I also had projects in other areas across Canada. I have done development work in Florida, Texas, Oregon and, for the past few years, mainly in Colorado.
LP: What other pies have you had your fingers in?
FM: In the early seventies I was in charge of administration for the Conservative Party of BC under the leadership of my close friend, Dr. Scott Wallace. In 1979 I purchased the Victoria Cougars hockey team. I thoroughly enjoyed this for almost ten years when I reluctantly sold the team due to many illnesses. I have also owned and bred thoroughbred horses. I no longer golf but I am still a member at Uplands Golf Club.
LP: How did you get involved with bridge?
FM: Denise and I had played party bridge and got involved in duplicate after moving to Victoria. We played at the bridge club on Johnson Street and became good friends and bridge partners with Jack and Margaret McAvoy. I was a member of the Unit Committee as Vice President and later on as President. I was also Vice President of DINO. I and the Unit Committee ran many successful Regional and Sectional tournaments. Being a member of any bridge committee brings a lot of hassles but it can also be a lot of fun. We have been extremely fortunate over the last few years to have a President with very hard working committee members. This Unit is financially sound and that, along with the great push for new members, has left a sound foundation for the current and any future committee.
LP: Do you still enjoy bridge?
FM: Yes, although I would never consider myself more than an average player.
Before closing, I would like to give special mention to our outstanding local directors who are recognized as being firm but very responsive to all their clients. This is a difficult job.
LP: Thank you for the interview, Fraser. I have enjoyed very much hearing about your exploits around the globe and seeing pictures of your nine grandchildren, King Hussein and the many housing developments.
Copyright:
ACBLUnit 431
James K. Foster,
April, 2005