Longtime Lakeside pioneer Joan Van Every Frost died in Santa Barbara, California on June 7. She was 83.
Born February 28, 1929 in Los Angeles, California, Frost was educated at the University of California at Santa Barbara and the University of California at Berkeley. Shortly after World War II she served as a librarian on U.S. Army military bases in Germany and France. She became the head librarian for the Santa Monica Public Library, a position she held for several years.
She married photographer John Frost in 1963 and the couple moved to Jocotepec in 1967. Their son John was born shortly after their move to Mexico.
Frost was instrumental in the opening of a Centro de Salud (health clinic) in Jocotepec. The municipality had been promised a building for that purpose but there was no staff. She and others petitioned the Jalisco Department of Health for help and finally got staffing from the Autonoma Medical School in Guadalajara in 1974. When she saw that medical care was not good in Chapala, she started a group called Amigos de Salud to help kids from newborn to 16 years old. That group later became Programa Pro Niños Incapacitados del Lago, with Frost as the president and mentor for several years.
Frost was also a pioneer and one of the founders of the Ajijic International Chili Cook-off and participated in nearly every capacity until recently. She was also active with the Lakeside School for the Deaf.
During her years at Lakeside she authored two art books for children and six novels: “Kings of the Sea,” “Masque of Chameleons,” “Silvershine,” “Portrait in Black,” “This Fiery Promise” and “Lisa.” All are still available from Amazon. She also worked for a time as a writer for the Guadalajara Reporter.
Frost was honored as “Woman of the Year” at the Lakeside Community Awards in 2011 and for her dedication to charities and the community in 2010.
The current president of Niños Incapacitados, David McNiven, said, “It is with great regret that we see the passing of our dear friend. Her many friends at Niños Incapacitados will remember her not just as one of the founders of our charity but as one who gave so much time and love (even for a time opening her own home to be used as a clinic) to the care of and financial support of her beloved Niños.”
Frost is survived by her husband John, son John Frost and three grandchildren: Austyn, Erynn and Alec.
No memorial service is planned for the near future.
Go to www.programaninos.org, click on “reports” and see “Joan Frost Tributes.”
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