Bill Frost

Bill (William) Frost Nov 23, 1946 - Dec 7, 2025
Bill Frost passed away on December 7th, surrounded by his family, after a life filled with adventure, service, family and friends. We will miss him in our bones.
Bill was born in Kansas City, MO and was adopted by Robert and Eloit Frost who loved him with all of their hearts. Billy, as he was known as a little kid, called Clay Center, KS, home for the first 18 years of his life. As a kid he spent a lot of time at the pool hall with his dad where his love for playing cards and pool was born. Cards and pool were lifelong hobbies and he excelled at both. Some of his greatest friendships later in life were his gin rummy group and his pool playing friends.
In Clay Center he met David Bauer, his best friend who became family. Bill and David were small town boys living big lives filled with fishing, critters, dirt, sports, and their love of music. Their friendship spanned more than 60 years and their stories were the stuff legends were made of. Your face would hurt from laughing listening to the two of them tell about the trouble they got into. They could also melt your heart with a few tunes from their high school quartet.
After high school, Bill considered becoming a teacher by way of Emporia State. He loved math, just not teaching it to kids. He said Vietnam sounded better, and he graduated from Navy Officer Candidate School in December, 1968. After graduation he served on the USS John R Craig, a World War II destroyer. He was the Department Head of Supply and was soon promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade. He loved his Navy life and was such a trusted navigator, his captain often called on him to guide them through difficult waters. Next, he volunteered to go "in country" in Vietnam as an American Naval Advisor to assist the South Vietnamese patrolling in their riverboats. His stories downplayed the danger. His dream was to go to nuclear power submarine school but his eye sight wasn't good enough, so after serving almost a year and a half in Vietnam, he left the Navy with a rank of Lieutenant. He was reluctant to be recognized as a veteran because Vietnam veterans were not welcomed when they came home. He was humble about his service but credited it for preparing him for his role as city attorney.
Bill met Carlene Malmstrom in 1972 and knew she was the love of his life. They recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Bill and Carlene had 3 children and he was all in as a dad. He was a great gift giver and would do anything for his family. He could fix just about anything. He was irrationally proud of every single thing his kids and grandkids did whether they were really good at it or not. He coached too many teams to count and there surely was a surge during his baseball / softball coaching career in kids in Manhattan who could hit the heck out of the ball using his "keep your hands back and swing from your hips" technique.
While many people may know Bill as Manhattan's city attorney - they may not know what that means. He was a fierce protector of the city ensuring they were always on solid legal ground with any action they took. More visibly, Bill guided the acquisition of land and negotiated the development of businesses all over Manhattan. When you look around Manhattan - the mall, the Discovery Center, all of the area around Hy-Vee, the airport, the business park by the airport, just to name a few - those things stand on their ground because Bill knew how to clear the way. He loved the City of Manhattan and the staff who supported it. His life's work was helping to build the city into a better place for everyone who lives here.
Bill loved to play golf - playing too many rounds to count with his golf buddies. You could find him in the back yard working on his swing and he'd come in often saying "I think I've got it figured out." And years after his Navy career - he still loved the water and you could find him on his boat at Tuttle Creek either towing grandkids or fishing. He was an expert at tying all kinds of knots from his days in the Navy, and despite his best efforts, his family could never tie a knot he was confident would hold anything.
Dad used to talk about the doctor who loved him which is, of course, his daughter, Megan, who moved mountains to make sure Dad was taken care of. But there were two other healthcare providers who we are certain gave us more time with him with their impeccable care as well as lifting his heart and soul. We will be forever grateful to Dr. Mia Cosentino and Charlene McCormack for everything they did for him.
Bill was one of the good ones. His moral compass only knew one direction - to always do what was right. He served his country and he served this community with everything he had to give. He loved his family more than anything. As he left this world he said what more could I have asked for and we feel the same - he was everything and more.
Bill will be missed by his wife, Carlene; children: Amy (spouse Troy), Megan, and Adam; grandchildren: Daxton, Preston, Vivian, and Logan; siblings Ed, Nora, and Jan; nieces and nephews Mike, Kelly, Jaime, Lee, Stephanie, Alicia, Amanda, Samantha; and countless friends some of who may or may not have seen him lose his temper at golf once or twice, but always shared good times and a lot of laughter.
We will celebrate Bill's life on Saturday, January 31st, at 6:00 pm at the Flint Hills Discovery Center located at 315 S 3rd St, Manhattan, KS 66502. Bill was instrumental in the development of the Discovery Center so it will be special to celebrate his life while standing in one of his great accomplishments.
To honor his life - thank a veteran for their service and marvel at the beautiful city of Manhattan whenever you get the chance. In lieu of flowers, and to support the things Bill loved - donate to your favorite Manhattan charity or honor our veterans through the Gary Sinise Foundation or the Bob Woodruff Foundation.