Yolande Paquin Frost

On Sunday, December 5, 2021, Yolande Paquin Frost, 93, passed away peacefully in Annandale, Virginia, surrounded by her devoted family. She was preceded in death by her loving husband, CDR William LeRoy (“Jack”) Frost, U.S. Navy (Ret.), who died in 1981; her parents, Adrien and Fernande Paquin; her brother, Laurent Paquin and his wife, Anita Huot; her nephew, François Paquin; her daughter-in-law, Katherine Stief Frost; and her granddaughter, Amanda Michelle Frost.

Yolande is survived by her family of 9 children and 25 grandchildren: Michael Lawrence Frost of Bumpass, VA (spouse Victoria; children: Jennifer and Timothy); Linda Yolande Frost of Annandale, VA (children: Jill, Katie, Hunter, and Heather); William Paul Frost of Bumpass, VA (children: Nicole, William, James, and Katherine); Danielle Marie Freese of Bumpass, VA (spouse Ralph; children: Marisa and Ralph); Laurie Frost Wilson of Annandale, VA (children: Ashley and Martin); Sandy Escamilla of Burke, VA (spouse Sam; children: Leslie, Brian, Kevin, Adam, and Kacie); Richard Dale Frost of The Villages, FL (partner Teri; child: Rebecca); Julie Odette Johnson of Dumfries, VA (spouse Curtis; children: Brian and Zachary); and Ronald Mark Frost of Herndon, VA (spouse Jeanne; children: Amanda, Cynthia, and Mark). She also is survived by 28 great-grandchildren; her brother-in-law, Robert H. Frost (children: Amy Schultze and Oren Frost); sister-in-law, Margaret E. Frost; nephews Denis Paquin (spouse Odette; children: Gabriel, Frederic, and Eva) and Jacques Paquin (child: Laurent); and her niece Martine Lebleu (spouse Marcel; children: Laurence and Alexandra); as well as numerous extended family members in Canada.

Yolande was born in St-Raphaël, in the Province of Quebec, Canada, on April 23, 1928, and baptized Marie Laurence Juliette Yolande Paquin. After moving with her parents and brother to Montréal, Canada, Yolande graduated high school from École Supérieure Ste-Croix in 1945 and attended Notre Dame Business College. She began work as a bilingual secretary for two Specialized Agencies of the United Nations: first with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montréal, then with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Washington, D.C. (where she met Midshipman Jack Frost on a blind date), and Rome, Italy. Yolande was fortunate to travel to Rome on the RMS Queen Mary and while there, she had an audience with Pope Pius XII at the Vatican.

Yolande married Jack on June 9, 1951, in the Église de Notre-Dame-du-Bois-Franc in Saint-Laurent, a suburb of Montréal, after Jack graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. As a United States Naval Aviator’s wife, Yolande raised their family in numerous ports-of-call, including San Diego, CA; Bremerton, WA; Pensacola, FL, where Michael was born; Corpus Christi, TX; Brunswick, ME, where Linda and Bill were born; Monterey, CA, where Danielle and Laurie were born; Waldwick, NJ, where Sandy and Richard were born; then back to Brunswick, ME, where Julie and Ronald were born. The family then moved to tropical Key West, FL, far from the forests of Quebec and Maine, then to Norfolk, VA, and finally to Springfield, VA, where Yolande lived for over 50 years.

While raising her family, Yolande found time to become an artist, painting first landscapes then abstracts, showcasing her work at numerous art shows and festivals. She was a founding member of the Springfield Art Guild and its first President, and she owned Galerie Jaclande, an art gallery and custom framing shop, which she operated in West Springfield and other locations for 23 years. She also was a Certified Records Specialist and Genealogist who authored “Frost Family Stories: Across Four Centuries,” a book that chronicled the 11 generations of hers, and her husband Jack’s, families in North America.

Yolande’s final years were spent living with 2 of her children, Linda and Laurie, who lovingly cared for her, and enjoying her extended family of over 65 members. The family will cherish memories of visiting “Grandmère” often and the many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins who loved her.

Visitation (4:00-6:30 pm) and a Memorial Service (6:30-7:30 pm) will be held on Thursday, December 16, 2021, at Demaine Funeral Home, 5308 Backlick Road, Springfield, Virginia 22151. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Capital Caring Health (Hospice Program), online at www.capitalcaring.org. Interment will be at a later date (TBD) at Arlington National Cemetery, where she will rest eternally together again with her adored husband, Jack.

“Je me Souviens”