Lasting Memories

Nelle Atkinson Frost
June 12, 1919-Jan. 12, 2015
Palo Alto, California
Submitted by Monty Frost

Nelle passed away peacefully at age 95 in Palo Alto on Jan. 12, joining her beloved husband Lamont, who passed away two years ago. She leaves behind her son, Otis Lamont Frost, III; her daughter-in-law, Judy Moeggenberg Frost; her granddaughters, Amy Katherine Frost and Megan Frost Belanger; Megan's husband, Mark Belanger; and her twin great-grandchildren Helen and Misha Belanger. Her sisters, Nancy Ward and Katherine Hammond, predeceased her.

Nelle led a strong, inspiring life full of warmth and love. Her beauty and intelligence were extraordinary. She was a true Southern lady of great dignity and great strength of character, who took great pleasure in being there for those she loved, and in filling their needs.

Nelle was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, by her parents, Nell and William Culwell Edwards, who were affectionately called "Sugar" and "Hubby." She was a gifted and accomplished young woman. By the time she was in eigth grade, Nelle had already won two spelling contests, took first place in three Nashville essay contests, won first place in a Tennessee violin contest and was president of her junior high school class. While at Ward Belmont High School, she was a member of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, playing second violin. She graduated high school as president of her class.

In 1937, Nelle entered Vanderbilt University and pledged Delta Delta Delta sorority, where she was president of her pledge class. That year she met the love of her life and future husband, Otis Lamont Frost Jr. at a dance. While at Vandy, she was president of her sorority and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in her junior year. She graduated in 1941, magna cum laude, with a B.A. in mathematics.

After graduation, she took a job with the Burroughs Adding Machine Co., teaching operators how to run the machines. On June 17, 1942 in Nashville, she married Lamont who was in the U.S. Navy at the time. They would be married over 70 years. After a brief honeymoon in New Orleans, she returned to her Burroughs job and participated as a volunteer in the USO, while Lamont shipped off to the Caribbean. During the next two years they moved many times following Navy orders, living in New York; Miami Beach; Washington, D.C.; Norfolk, Virginia; and Quincy, Massachusetts. When Lamont was deployed to the South Pacific on sea duty, Nelle returned to Nashville, where their son Monty was born in 1944.

After the war, the family moved to Los Angeles, where Lamont began his post-war career. The family moved to Cheviot Hills in West LA in 1953. Nelle joined the Cheviot Hills Garden Club and served in many capacities, including presidency. She made many friends and loved to entertain. She loved dining with Lamont and friends at the California Club in downtown Los Angeles, and attending the symphony at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

In 1990, she joined High Hopes Unlimited Investment Club and served as secretary and president. By 2000, she was treasurer. With characteristic skill, Nelle kept track of the money flows to the last penny, and when she finally retired no one could take her place, so the club members decided to disband.

Physically active, Nelle liked to play tennis, swim and enjoyed vacationing with her family at a cabin owned by Lamont's parents in Sequoia National Forest. Later, she loved vacation trips to national parks, including Bryce, Zion and Grand Canyon, and to the Canadian Rockies. In the 1970s and '80s, she and Lamont traveled extensively around the world on photographic tours, venturing to unusual places like Yemen and Ladakh. She also greatly enjoyed road trips with her granddaughters and daughter-in-law, including a high-spirited, girls-only trip to Las Vegas with Judy, Meg and Amy for Amy's 30th Birthday.

In 2008, she and Lamont moved to Palo Alto to be closer to Monty and his family and get dedicated medical care for Lamont. She was extremely attentive and caring for Lamont and enjoyed many, many gatherings with her family.

Nelle was a lovely, gracious, sweet and fun-loving woman who was completely devoted to her husband and family, and who instilled a love of learning in her son and granddaughters; a true treasure as a wife, mother, mother-in-law and grandmother, she was a role model and will be profoundly missed by us all.

The family is deeply grateful to all her caregivers at the Vi, and to Kiyoshi Kinoshita.