Edward Frost

Our father, Edward "Ed" Frost, 93, a long-time resident of Watsonville, CA passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 26, 2023 at Dominican Hospital, Santa Cruz, after a brief illness. All the family, including children and grandchildren, gathered and surrounded him in love for his journey onward. He rallied and had a good day on Thanksgiving; flirting with the nurse who gave him a shave, watching football, and listening to messages of love and support from friends and family, near and far.

Ed was born in Fort Worth, TX in 1930 to Velma (Farmer) and Harvey Newcomb Frost. The family moved to Oklahoma and Ohio before settling in Beaumont, Texas, where Ed's father worked as a chemical engineer at an oil refinery. Ed had an insatiable curiosity his entire life. At the University of Texas, Austin, Ed first majored in electrical engineering, and then shifted to pre-law. Half-way through law school, he realized that law also was not his calling and he enrolled in Yale Divinity School, much to the chagrin of his father.

At Yale, he met and married fellow student, Signe (Seena) Culbertson in 1955, graduating with a Master's in Divinity in 1958. Together, Ed, Seena and new baby, Jennifer Jane, moved to Malad City, Idaho, where Ed accepted his first parish as a Presbyterian Minister. There, Paul Edward and Margaret Elizabeth (Meg), were born.

In 1962, the family moved to San Jose, CA when Ed was called to become Associate Pastor of Stone Presbyterian Church. Soon after, Sarah Kathryn was born. In 1965, the family made their final move to Watsonville, CA and Ed became Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Watsonville. During his tenure as Pastor (1965-1972), two estranged congregations merged on Easter Sunday, 1967, and the United Presbyterian Church of Watsonville emerged. The new church was forward-looking and introduced a more modern 'early' worship service. Us kids and our friends were active in the youth group and have fond memories of church camp and the Frost family annual candle-dipping parties at Christmas. Dad created a loving and welcoming home that was always full of kids, animals, friends, and anyone needing a place to stay.

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Ed continued his educational journey, preferring pastoral care over preaching and gaining experience teaching and leading individual and group therapy sessions. He trained at the Western Institute for Group and Family Therapy, focusing on Transactional Analysis and Gestalt and in 1974 graduated with a Master's in Counseling Psychology from Santa Clara University.

After leaving the Ministry, he established a private counseling practice in Watsonville as a licensed Marriage and Family Counselor (LMFT) and had a part-time position as Minister of Counseling at the Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church. In 1977, Ed and Seena separated, but remained friends throughout their lifetimes.

Dad was an active community member, dedicated and loving father and grandfather, ardent birder, back-packer and traveler, runner of 10Ks, voracious reader, and stayed curious, continuing his educational interests into his 90s, spending time each day with Great Courses' DVDs. He was also a consummate supporter and enjoyer of the arts, with season tickets to the Santa Cruz Symphony, Jewel Theater, Metropolitan Opera Live in HD, and his beloved Shakespeare in Santa Cruz. He likely attended nearly every single Shakespeare performance from 1981 in the Glen through this past summer when the family gathered for his 93rd birthday and enjoyed Shakespeare in the Grove. To enhance the experience and satisfy his curiosity, Dad often enrolled in sponsored courses to study the current years' plays.

He was sharp as a tack and lived independently his entire life. As a Virgo he kept lists: lists of birds, lists of his favorite musical artists, lists of books and movies, and more. While he could, he loved to travel – with his family to lakes and parks all over California; visiting friends in Big Sur, Maine, New Mexico and beyond; and most often with fellow birders, all over the continental US and Alaska as well as internationally. His travels included trips to England and Ireland, Africa, Australia, Peru and Costa Rica. But his all-time high experience as a traveler and birder was the trip to Antarctica with some of his birding buddies, where they saw some 300,000 penguins and poured Guinness over the grave of Ernest Shackleton.

Ed is survived by three of his children: Jennifer Frost of Watsonville, Paul Frost (and wife Cindy) of La Selva Beach, Meg Frost Gorny (and husband Douglas) of Pacifica; and his four grandchildren: Devin Bhattacharya, Luke Frost, Carrie Frost, and Joseph Gorny. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Sarah Frost and his life-long friend, Seena Frost.

Dad, you will be greatly missed by all; but what a wonderful life you lived! At this time, no public service is planned. A private cremation was held on December 1, 2023 and a grand celebration was held previously on Ed's 91st birthday, as he wanted to be a part of his own celebration of life. In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to the cultural arts of your choice.

Published in The Pajaronian · December 4, 2023