William Kimball Frymoyer Sr.

May 14, 1934-November 2, 2024

William Kimball Frymoyer was a family man of integrity, vision, and love. Bill was kind to all he met, a gentle giant, at six foot four inches. Born in 1934 on the same day as his father thirty-five years earlier, Bill had a lot of family tradition to uphold.

Bill’s father Webster Williard Frymoyer, from coal town Mt. Carmel, PA was the first in his family to go to college, attending MIT. Bill’s mother Elizabeth Whitney Kimball’s family went to Mount Holyoke College and their value of education would remain visible in the following generations. Naturally, Bill received a degree in economics from Amherst College in 1955. There, he served as social chairman, then president, of his Theta Xi Fraternity. His 1938 Packard Station Wagon complete with woody side panels was legendary around campus. After, Bill volunteered for the army, serving from 1955-56 at Fort Dix, NJ. There he developed a new system for making staff assignments, his first human resources work.

Then in 1958 in Boston, he met his beloved wife of 59 years, Elin Alexanderson Frymoyer when he dropped off her roommate after a date. Also born in 1934, Elin was six days older than him and Bill lovingly dubbed her, “the older woman.” They enjoyed going to concerts, plays, museums together right through Kennedy Center season tickets in 2019. Elin and Bill married in 1961. Soon thereafter Bill, Jr. arrived in 1962, and Nina Marie in 1964.

Beyond his family life, Bill embarked on a successful career at the Monsanto Company as personnel director for its Springfield, MA plant in 1957. As he rose the corporate ladder, he lived in five cities in ten years, ending up in St Louis, the headquarters. He became an expert in human resources, compensation, and results management. From 1983-1992, he then was the lead consultant for Personal and Compensation issues for the Wyatt Company, with an office on the 56th floor of the Sears Tower.

Known by some as Mr. Episcopalian, Bill served as senior warden in two parishes in Creve Coeur, MO and Lake Bluff, IL. He also was a member of the vestry in Williamsburg, VA and Leesburg, VA. Bill was also interested in politics and policy throughout his life, generating many a keen dinner conversation. He fostered a healthy civic engagement of his children, grandchildren, and even of himself in retirement, when he served for six years as chairman of the Williamsburg, VA Land Conservancy.

Beyond his family, church, and vocation, Bill enjoyed the wanderlust of travel. In 1954 he biked across Europe with a friend, Tom Metcalfe. Over the years, he again went to Europe with his wife via car, train, and cruise. Bill loved visiting Cape Cod every summer with his kids and then later Maine with his grandkids.

Even when he was unable to travel towards the end of his life, Bill did not let that dampen his spirits. Bill spoke his life philosophy in aphorisms, such as, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” And that is what he did in his last three years as he awoke, lifting himself up to his walker and greeting everyone around the Jefferson residence with a smile and a “good morning.” Sundays were special as he attended Saint George's Episcopal Church with family, then usually adjourning to brunch. His favorite was at Salt Line because it featured the New England style seafood (lobster roll) of his youth.

Bill is survived by two children, Bill and Nina, as well as two grandchildren Isabella and Alex Frymoyer and their mother Michele Fornelli Frymoyer. Bill was preceded in death by his wife Elin, his parents “Fry” and “Betty,” as well as his elder sister Mary Frymoyer Brown and his younger brother Dr. John Willard Frymoyer.

The funeral service was on Sunday, November 17 at 200pm at Saint George's Episcopal Church in Arlington, VA. In lieu of flowers, please make any donations to the church at: https://www.saintgeorgeschurch.org/give.