William Joseph Frome (Bill) was born in Black Earth, Wisconsin on July 16, 1928 to Walter August Frome and Genevieve Skelton Frome. He joined his older brother Wally, younger sister Betty, and younger brother Jimmy, and together the Frome family was a mainstay in the town of Black Earth, Wisconsin.
As is typical in small towns, Bill and his siblings were involved in every social aspect of Black Earth. This 5’8” dynamo played basketball, football, ran track, and played the trumpet in the Black Earth marching band. At times Bill really had to juggle all of his roles, such as during football season when he raced between the locker room and the football field as quarterback and first-chair trumpet for the halftime show. In his later years, Bill regaled his children with stories about his childhood and life in a close-knit town.
Bill attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison and graduated from Marquette University as a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS). He joined the Air Force and served for 20 years, retiring from active duty as a full Colonel. While stationed at Chanute Air Force Base he met fellow Air Force officer Juanita Howle, and they married on July 7, 1956.
Bill and Nita were stationed at Evreux Air Force Base in France when daughter Dianne Marie was born, and returned to Chanute Air Force Base where Deborah Anne, Pamela Lee, and William Joseph II completed our family.
One of the best adventures of Bill’s life began in 1966, when he was named the Director of Dental Services for NASA. Bill and his family moved to Nassau Bay, Texas where he served 22 years as the dentist for the astronaut corps.
After retirement, Bill and Nita moved to the Forum at Memorial Woods, where they sang, danced, and thoroughly enjoyed the life of leisure. Nita remained by Bill’s side until her passing in 2009.
Bill enjoyed his career as a dentist, although he often remarked that he would have liked to study the arts and literature. He was also extremely interested in technology and the financial markets, and was a founding member of the Houston Investors Association. Bill was probably one of the few 89-year-old men in the world who routinely called for technical support regarding his iMac, Tivo, Amazon video, Internet access, and cell phone. He was extremely well-read and frequently shared links to online articles and TED talks, slowing down these activities just a few weeks prior to his death.
Bill joined Nita on May 7, 2018. It’s a coin flip whether their first dance was a fox trot or a jitterbug, but it’s safe to assume they are running through their repertoire of dance moves and enjoying the music of Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, Ella Fitzgerald, and Tommy Dorsey.
Bill is survived by his children Dianne Burke of Helena, MT; Debbi (Bill) Hare of Rowlett, TX; Pam (Mark) Stelly of League City, TX; and Bill (Paige) Frome of Richardson, TX, as well as his sister Betty Liebe of Portland, OR and brother Jim Frome of Middleton, WI. He was preceded in death by his brother Wally. Bill and Nita are also survived by grandchildren Kevin (Kari) Burke; Caitlin (Brandon) O’Leary; Shanna (Zachary) Miller; Rachel (David) Meyer; Madison Hare; Katherine Hare; Elizabeth Stelly; Emily Stelly; Caleb Frome; Hannah Frome; Rebecca Frome; and Noah Frome. Bill would have welcomed his first great-grandchildren in August and September, 2018.
Visitation and recitation of the rosary will be held at 9:00 a.m. on May 10, 2018 at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, followed by Mass of the Resurrection at 10:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to a local homeless shelter or the Innocence Project of Texas.
