The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-12-07
BY THE OUT EASTER

How sad his death was to those acquainted with his life's history, and ability to entertain.
 A product of World War I, he died at the Newington Veterans hospital, after several years of suf- fering. and yet always possessing the feeling that he. would recover and return to office practice. But it just couldn't be; his ailments were too serious to permit of con- tinued life.
 Born in Waterbury, in the West End or on East Main street near the Center, we are not certain, we do know that his good parents lived in both places dur- ing their life time. His early schooling was in Waterbury, a graduate of Crosby, followed by a college course that eventually made him full fledged physician and surgeon And beyond that he took up special courses, and at tained marks that brought him additional fame in the medical world.
 In Many Activities
 But we are not 50 much con- cerned about that. We knew and watched over him since early childhood. Rather frail in his younger days, still, he was able to join with the other young men of the west end, and travel along in all of their rough and ready stunts, on the ice in skating maneuvers, and winter sliding. As the years rolled along. and after he became profes- sional man, Dr. Fruin joined the Waterbury Lodge of Elks. There he went through all of the chairs, and was prominently identified with all of the entertainments un- dertaken by this well known or ganization. The ritual he men orized from the night of his initiation. And the words Of the various offices he occupied until after he had reached the goal, the chair of the exalted ruler, he ut tered without hesitancy. The II o'clock toast given by him, was one of the gems of Elks' meetings. His words were clear and his enunciation beyond criticism.
 The Elks commanded his ser vices every time a minstrel show was given. He was generally an end man. His script was ot his own composition, and his qulps sharp, and timely. His tongue never lacked in repartee, for his mind was ever alert to the dolngs of mankind, locally and gener- ally. We felt he was one of the most independent of our many people. He spoke his thoughts regardless, and this brought him into controversy now and then. But we who had known him for so many years, knew he was o1 good heart and never wished to offend. What he said mostly was in a spirit of fun, so that those in the party might enjoy real old fashioned laugh on someone present.
 Skilled In Repartee
 For our own part, we admired him for his quickness of retort, his ability to outsmart, and bring about redness on the face of his opponent, but always with a laugh and chuckle that generally closed the session with feeling of good will.
 Death is strange to many living people. We should of course stop, and doff our hats whenever we encounter a funeral. But few Of us do this sort of thing; we know some police who do, and we know of Firemen who always stop and extend a final salute. We like 1t because 1t shows respectable at titude toward real Death.
 The hum drum fashion of look ing at people in Death worries some of us, still around, but con- vinced that the practice will still be in operation when, we. too, join the long procession. There are hundreds we pass up daily, and