Robert Burton Frost

A celebration of Bob's life will be held for all those he touched, 1pm, Saturday, February 20, 2016, at The University of Washington Conibear Shell house, 3896 Walla Walla Rd, Seattle, WA www.huskycrew.org/map_directions.htm

Bob (Robert) Burton Frost, 77, passed away peacefully January 11, 2016. He fought a fierce 20-month battle against pancreatic cancer. Bob was one of those rare people we sometimes come across in life that captures us and pulls us into their fascinating orbit.

We will miss his wisdom and the spark he ignited in each of us to teach and learn. He was a devoted Husband, Father, Grandfather, Brother, Uncle, friend, engineer, sailor, HAM, scientist, astronomer, bird watcher, Life-long Scholar, Mentor, and Super-Volunteer.

Bob is survived by his soul mate and wife of 25 years (Susan) Susi Frost (nee Felder), his children Stuart, Stephanie, and Rob Frost, grandchildren Dylan Stensland, Isabella, Alex, and Robbie Frost, sister Jackie Brunke (nee Frost) (Art, deceased), and brother Ted Frost (Alice) all of the Puget Sound area. He was predeceased by parents Robert Victor Frost and Muriel Frederica Frost (nee Strathy), his dear sister-in-law Darlene Felder and niece Anne Fanthorpe (nee Brunke)

Bob was born and raised in Lake Forest Park, Seattle when kids could be kids. He built life-long friendships playing in the woods and on the shores of Lake Washington. He got his HAM radio license (W7TOM) at age 13 after building a crystal radio, a project that fueled his fascination and expertise in radios, electronics and antenna design. That passion continued throughout his life and career. Bob held the highest level of amateur radio license, the Extra-Class HAM license. He communicated on his HAM radio via Morse code and voice DAILY, but rarely turned on his cell phone.

Bob graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1956 and earned his BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington (UW) in 1960. He was a UW Varsity Crew Oarsman, Commodore of the Varsity Boat Club. He lived in the Conibear Shellhouse.

He sailed for six decades and raced his sailboat, Frostbite throughout the Pacific Northwest (PHRF) winning countless trophies. He happiest memories where of sailing the waters of Washington and British Columbia with family and friends.

Bob worked at The Boeing Company for 40 years and retired in 1999 as Chief Engineer of Boeing Information and Electronics System Division. His assignments included SRAM Missiles, Saturn-Apollo Rockets, Peace Shield, P-3 Update, and Compass Cope programs. He was Avionics Manager for the B1 Bomber Program, and Chief Engineer for the Boeing B2 Bomber Program.

After retirement Bob began classes at the UW through their Access Program which offers almost free tuition to Washington residents over 60 years old. Over the next fifteen years he took nearly a hundred science and engineering classes. He built strong friendships with UW faculty and fellow students.

Bob gave countless hours and valuable knowledge to the UW Earth and Space Sciences (ESS) Department where he helped implement two new popular classes in rocketry and high altitude balloon experiments. Every spring-break he transported tons of rockets and supplies to the Black Rock Desert in Nevada where he joined students and faculty to launch experiments to near space.

Bob loved spending time with Susi at their beach home named 'Happy Cottage' in Seaview (Pacific County) Washington and was active in the community. He upgraded HAM radio equipment and operating procedures, for the Pacific County Emergency Operation Center in Long Beach. HAM radio is vital for disaster communication. As a key volunteer for the Community Beach Clean Up ourbeach.org he provided radio support and helped remove tons of trash and tsunami debris from the Long Beach Peninsula coastline.

In lieu of flowers Bob requested memorial donations to the Silent Key Scholarship Fund: http://spccf.org/silent-key-fund.php which is part of the South Pacific County Community Foundation (SPCCF). In 2012 after his dear Sister-in-law, a teacher and fellow HAM, Darlene Felder passed away, Bob helped found this scholarship for Pacific County students pursuing a career in science.

The family invites you to share a story in the online guestbook, on this site. What will you remember most about Bob? What would Bob say (WWBS)? Bob had a wide range of interests and areas of expertise that people in his different fascinating orbits may not know about. Is there something you know about Bob that others should know?

Read Bob's courageous cancer story http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/bobfrost2

A celebration of Bob's life will be held for all those he touched, 1pm, Saturday, February 20, 2016, at The University of Washington Conibear Shell house, 3896 Walla Walla Rd, Seattle, WA www.huskycrew.org/map_directions.htm

Published in The Seattle Times on Jan. 24, 2016- See more at: The Seattle Times