Janet Claudett Frost

Jan Frost was born in Regina to Lillian and Clifford Furgason, and although she grew up in Regina, she had so many visits to relative’s farms in Forget, Wilcox, Rouleau, Pennant, and Swift Current that she regarded herself as a South Saskatchewan farmgirl. Not surprisingly she became an independent, self confident, and able person. She attended Balfour Tech High School, learning her secretarial studies well, and started her first job working for CIL Explosives in Regina where she learned a lot. This became typical – she always wanted to know everything about her job’s products.

It was around this time that she met Norm Frost who was destined to become her husband when he graduated 3 years later. So, at age 19 she got married and became a stay-at-home wife, learning how to cook and observing the early days of the oil and gas business in Saskatchewan.

After 2 years of planning and a move to Calgary, she and Norm had four children in quick succession – 2 boys, Michael and Ted, and 2 girls, Susan and Carol. She then became a very busy mother. She was good at it and this period was probably the happiest of her life. After 14 years married, the whole crew picked up and moved to Toronto where they lived for 7 years and where all of the kids grew to be teenagers. Jan was not overwhelmed by Toronto’s bigness or traffic, and became the proverbial suburban taxi mom; taking kids to hockey games and practices, horseback riding lessons, and dance lessons.

Those years passed quickly and when all the kids became able to find their own way around, she found she had time to try some new things. She worked as a part time secretary for various companies, became a volunteer in the Play Therapy Department at the North York Hospital, and became a pretty good tennis player. She even joined the IODE (Independent Order of the Daughters of the Empire), and became a Woman’s Libber.

This period of our lives came to an end when we all packed up and moved back to Calgary. Upon returning to Calgary Jan started her own secretarial service company, became a water colour artist, organized art shows, and was the owner of the Rosehip Art Gallery. She became a life ling knowledgeable Flames Fan, particularly enjoying the 1980’s Stanley Cup Run. She bonspieled in Nanton and Banff, and for a short time she was the manager of the Water Valley General Store. She also worked for the Elizabeth Fry Society and the Distress Centre. Her darkest day was the day she lost her driver’s license, and her independence along with it, due to dementia.

Over the course of Jan’s life, she designed Barbie doll clothes, knitted socks and Siwash sweaters, loved to sing and read, and was a doting grandmother to her grandchildren. She loved to travel, and if her husband couldn’t make it, she figured out another way. She had a boisterous laugh and a good sense of humour.

She was a strong role model and was a wonderful mother, who after the years of rearing four children and watching them grow into adults, became their great friend.

We’ll miss you, Mom.

A Family Celebration of Life was held.