Maxine Pierce Frost

MAXINE PIERCE FROST Died peacefully surrounded by her children on November 27, 2007. Born in Janesville, Wisconsin on January 12, 1931, she was the eldest of Frances Vigdal Pierce and Rolfe Conroy Pierce's two girls. The Pierce family moved from Wisconsin to Huntington Park in 1941 after Maxine's father took a job in southern California. She graduated from Huntington Park High School in 1949 and entered Stanford University as a freshman that fall. In 1950 Maxine met her future husband, Matt at a Stanford dinner dance. They fell in love and were married June 27th, 1953, following her graduation from Stanford with a Bachelors degree in History. In the fall of 1958, they moved to Riverside with two toddlers, Douglas, born in 1955 and Grant, born in 1957. The Frost family was complete when Anne was born in 1960. A job as a substitute teacher fostered Maxine's love of education - and her belief in a good education's ability to change lives for the better. In 1965, she was asked to serve on the Riverside Unified School District's Committee for Desegregation Implementation. That committee's work ushered in one of the nation's first voluntarily desegregated large school districts. She had found her calling. Maxine joined the Riverside Unified School District Board of Trustees in 1967, wanting to be the voice for kids who didn't have a "pushy parent" and might otherwise be overlooked. During her unprecedented 40-year tenure on the board, she was a member of many district committees and served on numerous statewide boards, including the California School Boards Association and the Council for Basic Education. She was recognized for her energy and leadership many times over, most recently as the recipient of the Ferd Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award from the Association of California School Administrators, given to her for her lifetime commitment to the students of California. Among her proudest achievements was her work to bring the `AVID' program to Riverside schools. Advancement Via Individual Determination is a college preparatory elective for students who are traditionally underrepresented at four year colleges and universities. Riverside's program is one of the oldest in California and is now the largest in the nation. Maxine wasn't just an educator. She was a big sister, mother, mother-in-law, Mimi, Grandma, friend and expert traveler! Maxine and her husband Matt loved to travel and spent many leisurely days cruising and exploring some of the world's most beautiful spots. They also loved to spend their summers and weekends at their beloved trailer by the sea at El Morro, where Maxine could read on the beach while Matt bodysurfed. Maxine had active memberships during her lifetime in several organizations including American Association of University Women, League of Women Voters, Junior League of Riverside, National Charity League, the Riverside Art Alliance and Delta Kappa Gamma, a sorority of educational professionals. Maxine is survived by her children, Douglas Frost and his daughter, Madeline of Claremont; Grant and Kathy Frost and their son, Gavin of San Diego; Anne and Barry Francis and their sons, Nick and Matt also of San Diego, and sister Janice Tankersley and brother-in-law Jerry of South Carolina. A memorial service will be held on Monday, December 3rd at noon at Calvary Presbyterian Church, 4495 Magnolia Avenue in Riverside. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Riverside Educational Enrichment Foundation, Maxine Frost AVID Scholarship, c/o Riverside Unified School District, 3380 14th Street, Riverside, CA 92501.