Roger W. Frost

WORCESTER - Roger Walden Frost, a resident of The Briarwood Community in Worcester, passed away on June 16 at the age of 96, after a brief period of declining health. Roger, who embraced innovation and technology all his life—even mastering video production and editing in his 80s—would have loved seeing his family gathered on Zoom to say their final goodbyes to him just minutes before his passing.

The son of Harold Lincoln and Ruth (Smith) Frost, Roger’s extraordinarily full life began in Worcester on January 14, 1924. His family moved to Providence in 1929, the same year his sister, Betty, was born. Growing up during the Depression, including losing the family home, shaped Roger’s character—and he passed the lessons he learned to his children and grandchildren. Despite financial hardships, his father built a simple cottage on Point Judith (Salt) Pond in Wakefield, RI, where the family lived each summer. Those pleasurable years at Salt Pond were among Roger’s happiest and formed his lifelong love of fishing, boating and berry picking.

Roger worked his way through Brown University, interrupting his studies to serve as a Naval officer during WWII. When the war ended he was reassigned to Norfolk, Virginia, where—on a blind date—he met and fell in love with a tall, smart WAVE named Nancy English. They were married in June 1947 and settled in Worcester. For the next 52 years Nancy was his anchor, the left brain to his right, the foundation that allowed him to build his dreams.

Together they raised seven children on Beechmont Street, where the Frost home was a magnet for neighborhood children. Saturday mornings were for projects, and often there was a flock of kids helping Roger cut down trees, dig out stumps, or build a patio. He was a fisherman to his core and spent many summer days hauling in bluefish and striped bass off the Cape with his sons, close friend Granger Norwood, and later on, his grandchildren. Roger’s last fishing trip was in his late 80s, when he could still pull in a 25-pound bass.

A proud and enthusiastic Rotarian, Roger was a 70-year member of the Worcester Rotary Club, a Paul Harris Fellow, and past Club president and District Governor. Countless times his children and grandchildren heard him recite the Rotary motto, “Service Above Self.” He became the third-generation owner of Frost Stamp Works, renaming it Frost Manufacturing Corp and growing it from a small rubber stamp shop to a full-service sign and stamp business. After their family was grown, Roger and Nancy moved to Holden and traveled the world, visiting over 25 countries—often while attending business or Rotary conventions. They were in Beijing during the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, their hotel just blocks away from the where the massacre took place.

Nancy’s last gift to Roger before her death in 1999 was putting him on the waiting list for a cottage at Briarwood. Little did she know how he would thrive there. Called “The Mayor of Briarwood,” Roger was a tireless advocate for the organization and for what he called, “Senior Empowerment.” He relentlessly organized his fellow residents to get involved and stay active. His crowning achievement was founding the Briarwood Broadcasting Company (BBC), a cable television station operated 12 hours a day, 7 days a week by a committee of dedicated residents—with countless hours of help from his friend, George Dame.

The story of Roger’s rich life goes on: from his active membership in All Saints Church to many decades-long friendships to picking endless quarts of berries to his famous and coveted Laugh-a-Day booklets. But, as he frequently told us, the most important thing to him was his family.
Roger leaves behind daughters, Carol Frost and her partner, George Miller of Friendship, Maryland and Margaret Wight and her husband, Robert, of Cincinnati, Ohio; sons, Roger H. Frost, Fletcher Frost, Douglas Frost and his wife, Julieane, all of Worcester, and Jeffrey Frost and his wife, Debra, of Shrewsbury; and son-in-law, David Sosnoski and his wife, Mary Alice, of Sterling. In addition, he leaves 13 cherished grandchildren (Ted, Makeba, Ben, Alan, Katherine, Suzanne, Phil, Maggie, Sam, Amanda, Matt, Heather, and Brian); 12 great-grandchildren; niece, Susan Stedman Jennings; nephew, Robert Stedman; cousin Paul Frost; close friend, Regina Bonofilio; and his beloved Briarwood community. In addition to his parents and Nancy, Roger was predeceased by his youngest daughter, Joanne Frost Sosnoski, his sister, Betty Frost Stedman, and brother-in-law, John Stedman.

The Frost family is grateful to The Briarwood Community for their care and support of Roger, and to Paula Holloway for her invaluable assistance to Roger and his family during the past six months.

Friends are invited to calling hours on Wednesday, June 24 from 6 to 8 pm at the Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main Street, Holden (appropriate COVID-19 protocol will be observed including the use of face masks and social distancing). Funeral and burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Worcester Rotary Club, P.O. Box 3413, Worcester, MA 01613; or to the Briarwood “BBC” Fund, The Briarwood Community, 65 Briarwood Circle, Worcester, MA 01606 (gift checks may be made out to Salem Community Corporation, noting the memorial gift and “BBC” on the memo line).

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