Jack Frost

Dearest friend, Jack Frost of Ellensburg, WA, community activist, veteran, friend, mentor and scholar passed away on April 7, 2022 after a long illness and struggle with COPD at the age of 75.

Virginia and Frank Rudolph Frost III welcomed Jack (Frank Rudolph Frost IV) into the world on November 10, 1946 in Oakland, California. From childhood, he was nicknamed Jack as that was the lifetime name given to his father by family and friends. Jack’s father was career military and his mother served in the Civil Service during the Vietnam conflict. Consequently, Jack traveled a great deal in his youth spending most of his elementary school years in France, middle school in Chula Vista, California, most of his high school years in Rhode Island at North Kingstown High School and finally graduating from Radford High School in Honolulu, Hawaii. Jack joined the Navy in June 1964, reached the rank of BM 3 (Boatswain Mate 3) and was honorably discharged in October 1968. Jack was on active duty during the Vietnam conflict and was stationed in Pearl Harbor, three years on the USS Pearl Harbor and one year aboard the USS Rainier. It was his tour on the USS Rainier that introduced him to Washington State where he returned many years later to live.

Jack settled in San Diego, California after his term in the military ended, was active in church for many years, and spent more than one summer ferrying church members around Europe and Asia for mission work in various countries. In one summer, he drove a mission bus from London, England to Mumbai and Bombay, India, dispersing folks in major cities along the route. In 1969 Jack left San Diego, traveling to numerous cities in the U.S., primarily to visit Navy friends, stayed for a while in Kentucky, and finally found his way to Washington State to see a friend in 1980. According to Jack, his Washington friend kicked Jack out of the house because of his drinking. He then moved to Seattle where he found work with the Seattle Union Gospel Mission and later with the Washington State Social Security Administration. A jay-walking ticket sent Jack to rehab at Sundown M Ranch in Yakima where he worked through the ups and downs of sobriety before getting sober in 1989. He subsequently worked as the Executive Secretary at the South King County Recovery Center until his move to Ellensburg in 2001 to work at Alcohol and Drug Dependency Services (now Merit Resource Services).

In January 2003 Jack started a new life chapter as a student at Central Washington University (CWU). While on campus, he quickly became known as the tall, thin, guy who wore the big cowboy hat. Rightly so, as Jack was very active in the CWU Rodeo Club, receiving the Volunteer of the Year award in 2003 and the Most Inspirational award in 2004. Governor Kristine Gregoire appointed Jack to the CWU Board of Trustees from 2005 to 2006. He received the CWU Community Service Award in 2005 and graduated Cum Laude with his Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology and Administrative Management in June 2007. He was sixty years old.

Jack was known for his tireless, committed, and thoughtful volunteer work on various city and county boards and commissions as well as local agencies. His voice, his perspective brought dimension to these groups through his representation of people in our community, particularly the marginalized communities. His volunteer work included over ten years to the Kittitas County Homeless and Affordable Housing Committee, the Kittitas County Habitat for Humanity Board, and the County Alcohol-Substance Abuse Committee. In Ellensburg, he served significant terms on the City’s Parks & Recreation Committee and was an active and instrumental member in founding the City’s first Public Transit Advisory Commission. Jack volunteered at the Kittitas County Historical Museum, the Ellensburg Rodeo, the Kittitas County Frontier Village, and the Ellensburg Public Library. Most recently Jack worked in the Laundry Center in Ellensburg and instigated the weekly process to launder the sleeping bags for the Cold Weather Shelter free of charge.

Jack was committed to his own sobriety that began in 1989 and recently celebrated his 33rd year as an active member of AA. Jack gave selflessly of his time, care, encouragement, and mentoring tasks to his friends and AA travelers after arriving in Ellensburg, walking along side more people than can be counted on their journey to recovery.

The legacy of Jack Frost will live forever in the hearts of everyone who knew him and were touched by his presence in their lives. He is survived by a brother, Robert, a sister-in-law, Karen, his niece, Morgan, and his nephew, Brandon, residing in Indianapolis, as well as Nevada Callier, Taylor and Trista Roberts, and Amanda Kreider who knew him as “Uncle Jack” here in Ellensburg. He is preceded in death by his parents. Jack was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Ellensburg.

A Celebration of Jack’s Life will be held in Ellensburg at the United Methodist Church on Friday, May 6, 2022, 2:00 pm. More than anything Jack wanted to afford an opportunity for all of his friends to gather and remember him with music, laughter, comfort and joy. His remains will be interred at the Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Washington.

When Jack was recently asked ‘why did you volunteer for so many things?’, he answered quickly and simply ‘because I care’. He further explained that a lot of people had helped him in his life, and he wanted to give back in return. Fortunate are those who were beneficiaries of this care. We love you, Jack.  You will be missed.

Johnston and Williams Funeral Home and Crematory of Ellensburg has been entrusted with the arrangements.  Online condolences may be left at www.johnston-williams.com

PLEASE NOTE: (January 11, 2024) -- The recording of this service has been archived and removed from our server.  If you wish to obtain a copy of this recording on a thumb drive, please contact our office.