Reggae Boyz goalkeeper Dwayne Miller said the late Dr Carlton “Pee Wee” Fraser was an approachable, friendly figure who always put people first.

Fraser, aged 74, died at a hospital in Florida on Sunday, November 21, after battling illness.

“Dr Fraser was always positive, always [had] something [positive] to say. You could approach him about anything, he was always willing and ready to put out his best to help anyone,” Miller said of the man who served for many years as physician for the Jamaica senior men’s football team.

“He was a selfless person, very honest and forthcoming. Surely, he will be missed. I can remember he was always willing to put a smile on our faces in one way or the other,” the veteran ‘keeper added.

Long-time Reggae Boyz team manager Roy Simpson, who went on many international assignments with Fraser, said the doctor had a deep love for his job.

“Dr Fraser was one of those individuals who gave his all and received less. During his involvement with the [national football] programme it was just incredible the kind of service that he gave, and the belief that the players and staff had in him. His service was selfless — on numerous occasions you would see him treating people on tour, even at the hotel,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

“I remember visiting his practice on Maxfield Avenue and the number of persons who were waiting on him. And he would disclose to me that it wasn’t even about so much the payment, but just giving back because he was blessed with this talent to make people better,” Simpson said.

Fraser, a former Wolmer’s Boys’ School student, studied at Howard University in Washington, DC. He interned at University Hospital of the West Indies in St Andrew.

Fraser, a Rastafarian, was the doctor and close friend of reggae legend Bob Marley, who died in 1981.

In 2013, Fraser was banned for four years by football’s world governing body FIFA for administering prohibited substance dexamethasone to Reggae Boyz midfielder Jermaine Hue. The player, who was banned for nine months, had tested positive after a World Cup qualifying match away to Honduras.

The doctor had maintained that he was unaware that the drug was on the list of banned substances.

“In our last conversation we spoke about the situation with regards to how he left the national programme and how he felt he was wronged by the powers that be,” Simpson recalled.

“[He was] a caring person, a real soldier and someone who believed that love is everything, and to give is not necessarily to anticipate receiving,” the Reggae Boyz manager told the Observer.

Meanwhile, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) also expressed its sadness at the passing of Dr Fraser who it said was an eager and active servant of the sport, and that many players owe him a debt of gratitude for prolonging their careers with his dedicated service.

“Dr Fraser loved the sport and was always happy to lend a hand to those in need. Many players and clubs depended on his services. He will be missed. The JFF extends condolences to his family and friends and hopes that he finds peace wherever he rests for eternity,” President Michael Ricketts said.

—Sanjay Myers