Former Osoyoos mayor Bob Frost (1978-1987) and his wife Toody (Violet) were given this beautiful framed photo of Osoyoos after he stepped down as mayor 30 years ago. Frost passed away recently in Nanaimo. (Contributed photo)
Former Town of Osoyoos mayor Bob Frost and his wife Toody (Violet) loved Osoyoos so much they want their ashes scattered here, said proud son Brian Frost.
Bob Frost, who was a town councillor before being elected mayor of Osoyoos from 1978 until 1987, passed away after a brief illness in Nanaimo on April 10 at the age of 94.
Brian Frost said his father and mother loved living in Osoyoos and his father thoroughly enjoyed his almost decade-long run as mayor.
“My parents truly loved living there in Osoyoos,” he said. “My mother passed away back in 2001, but she made it very well known to everyone in the family that when Dad died, that they wanted to have their ashes spread together somewhere in Osoyoos.
“All those years they lived in Osoyoos after Dad retired were very happy years.”
Ironically, his father came to Osoyoos to retire in 1973, but that didn’t last long as he became heavily involved in building homes with two gentlemen name Bill Sanderson and Bud Hood, he said.
“They built a lot of houses over four or five years, including the home my parents lived in for many years,” he said. “It was through this construction building that my Dad got to meet a lot of the big players in town … and that’s what led to him becoming involved in municipal politics for the first time in his life.”
His father played a key role in ensuring that the Sun Bowl Arena and adjacent Osoyoos International Curling Club were built back in the early 1970s, he said.
“He worked very hard on that project … one of the people in town dubbed him Mr. Sun Bowl,” he said.
Once his father was elected mayor in 1978, one of his proudest achievements was construction of the town’s sewer and lagoon ponds up near Osoyoos Golf Course, he said.
“He played a significant role in ensuring that the town’s new sewage system was developed,” he said. “That meant a lot of trips back and forth between Osoyoos and Victoria to ensure the funding was provided, but he wouldn’t stop until that project was completed and paid for.”
The fact his father was mayor for almost a decade clearly indicates he was popular with local residents, he said.
“I would come and visit Dad regularly and I fondly remember not being able to walk by more than three people without someone stopping to say hello,” he said. “He loved his time as mayor and it was obvious the people of Osoyoos really liked him back.”
His mother and father fell in love with the South Okanagan after visiting him when he landed a job at the Royal Bank of Canada in Oliver, said Brian.
“He and Mom would visit us and they loved it and ended up spending many summers on vacation in Osoyoos,” he said. “They enjoyed that so much they decided that when they retired, it would be in Osoyoos. They moved there in 1973 and had many wonderful years together there.”
While raising his family in Saskatoon, his father became a “pioneer” in the 1940s in the insulation industry. He invented a method to break down carbonized rock into a product called “rock wool”, which was the precursor to fiberglass home insulation.
He enjoyed a very successful career in the insulation industry until a recession on the Prairies forced him to move his family to the Lower Mainland in 1963.
He started an insulation company in Langley and worked mainly in that job until his retirement and move to Osoyoos in 1973.
Bill Collins, the founder of Imperial Office Pro on Main Street in Osoyoos, was one of his father’s best friends.
Collins was upset to discover his longtime friend had passed away.
“He was a great friend and a great mayor of this town,” he said. “He worked in industry, so he didn’t mind getting his hands dirty and he made sure the job got done.”
Frost was a huge booster for Osoyoos during his time as mayor and councillor, said Collins.
“He would support any idea he felt was good for the expansion of Osoyoos,” he said. “There was a big push during his days as mayor to bring a Spanish theme to Osoyoos and that worked out very well during his time in office. He was very supportive of this town because he had a great love for Osoyoos.”
Frost was the fourth child of Fred and Nell Frost and was predeceased by his parents; his wife, Violet (Toody) 2001 ; his sisters Annie Peevers; Lillian Hamilton; and his brother, Bert. He is survived by his sons Brian (Lenore) Nanaimo; David (Heather) Victoria; daughters, Barb Ashcroft (Ron) Qualicum Beach; Susie (Chris) Pond Elkford, by six grandchildren ( Jason, Tracie, Steven, Jana (Steven), Todd and Tara (Toban)) and eight great-grandchildren : Jordan, Ayden, Tyler, Molly and Gus, Grayson, Mackenzie and Evan, sisters in law Marguerite Cram and Jeanne Walters.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
