Evelyn C. Trageser (Bragg)

Of Winchester, age 86, died in Feb after a period of declining health. Wife of late Milton B. Trageser, mother of late David Trageser of Winchester, Kenneth Trageser, and daughter, Linda Trageser, of Santa Fe, NM. Brother, Edward (wife Ruth) Bragg of Skaneateles, New York, and late Robert (wife Kristina) Bragg of New Philadelphia, Ohio. She also leaves behind many beloved nieces and nephews and their children. Born in Milford, MA in 1931, to Leslie and Clara Bragg. Leslie Bragg was a Chemical Engineer with a degree from MIT. Evelyn grew up in New Jersey: Scotch Plains, Glen Rock, Ridgewood, and Schenectady, New York. Evelyn Bragg graduated from Hood College, Frederick, Maryland, in 1953. She completed her BS in Nursing at MGH, RN granted in 1954. After graduation, she worked for Boston Visiting Nurse Association, Beth Israel Hospital Surgical Clinic, and Visiting Nurse Association in Winchester, Arlington, and Burlington. She took refresher courses and began coursework for her master’s Degree in Nursing in 1981. Evelyn Bragg married Milton Trageser on July 31, 1954, at  Glen Rock, New Jersey. They met at a church near where Milton, an MIT graduate, was working at the Instrumentation Lab. Milton Trageser became Director of the Apollo Program at the Draper Laboratory, 1962-1966, after which he spent many years developing a Gravity Gradiometer, continuing to work on advanced guidance systems until his retirement in 1989. Evelyn Trageser lived in Winchester, Massachusetts from 1963 - 2018. She was active with League of Women Voters, Friends of Winchester Hospital, Women’s Alliance of The Winchester Unitarian Society, and Winchester Trails, where she taught ecology and led nature walks for children for 25 years. Evelyn served on the Town Forest Committee, and boards of Winchester Visiting Nurse Association, Winchester Chapter of the American Red Cross. She volunteered at Red Cross blood drives, as a Messenger at the Hospital, and she was a Hospice volunteer. In earlier years, she was a Brownie and Girl Scout Leader. Lifelong pursuits included nature photography, gardening, playing accordion, reading, history, and current events. She has been a generous donor to many organizations, showing her diverse interests and great compassion. She helped organize events to teach tolerance and cross-cultural understanding, for example, about the culture of Afghanistan, donating many books to Winchester Public Library. Evelyn and Milton enjoyed camping, at their summer cabin in Canaan, New Hampshire, where her cousins now live. They also enjoyed boating in Ipswich and Maine. Evelyn was an excellent cook, preparing adventurous recipes from Italian, Chinese, French, Syrian, and Israeli cookbooks. She and Milton participated in a Chinese dining club for many years. A celebration of Evelyn’s life will be held at the Winchester Unitarian Church, 478 Main Street , Winchester, on Saturday, April 7, at 10 AM . In lieu of flowers, donations in Evelyn’s memory may be made to: Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres) http://www.msf.org/en/donate or Winchester Unitarian Society. www.winchesteruu.org/connection/giving/