Albert Abel Frost Jr.

1918 - 2018

Albert Abel Al' Frost, Jr. November 6, 1918 - February 19, 2018 San Diego Albert Abel Frost, Jr., "Al," a lifelong resident of San Diego, California, passed away peacefully at his Point Loma home on February 19, 2018. Born November 6, 1918, he was 99 years old. Al's father, Albert A. Frost, "A.A.," came to San Diego at age 7, a year after the death of his father, George Washington Frost, in Emporia, Kansas, in 1895. In 1896 Great Uncle Abel Henry Frost moved his deceased brother's family to San Diego. A.A. attended San Diego High School and Stanford University and eventually met Al's mother, Jessie Tucker, and they had three children, Gordon, Al and Helen. Al grew up in Mission Hills and went to San Diego High School. After he graduated from SDHS he attended Stanford University, graduating in 1941 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He worked for Kaiser Steel until he joined the Navy to help with the war effort. He met his wife and the love of his life for 67 years, Dorothy Soyster Frost ("Dottie") in Washington, D.C. in the early 1940s. He was a Navy Ensign and she was a government secretary from Long Beach, CA. They met at a military dance, and she mentioned she was taking flying lessons. Soon he was taking flying lessons and their romance soared. They were married December 16, 1944 and after the war they moved to San Diego where they were soon raising their children. Dottie passed away in January 2012. After returning to San Diego, Al joined the family lumber business, Frost Hardwood Lumber Company, which his father founded in 1911. When his father retired from the business, Al and his older brother Gordon operated Frost Hardwood Lumber until their children entered the business. As the company's import buyer, he traveled the globe to secure new commercial sources of hardwoods not found in the USA. He was a past president of the Pacific Coast Hardwood Distributors Association. He retired from the lumber company in 1981 and passed the baton to two of his sons, Bruce and Jim. Currently Al's youngest son Jim, along with nephew "G.T." Frost, and grandson Byram Frost are active in the business. Al was also involved in civic activities and real estate development. He was the foreperson of the San Diego County Grand Jury in 1964, and Board Chairman of the Better Business Bureau from 1979 to 1981. In 1951 he began building The Beach Cottages motel in Pacific Beach. The original 12 cottages still exist, and along with later development, has raised the room count to nearly 80 rooms "at the beach." A sailing enthusiast, he was a founding member of San Diego Yacht Club's junior sailing program at age 10 (with his older brother Gordon). He won four consecutive International 110 class National Championships (1959-1962). He also raced in two Olympic trials (5.5M class; Dragon class). In 1961 he was admitted to the San Diego Hall of Champions. In 1962 he was San Diego Association of Yacht Clubs' Yachtsman of the Year. He served as SDYC Commodore in 1966 and Commodore of the San Diego Association of Yacht Clubs in 1971. He instilled a love of boating in all his children. The family treasured their annual Catalina Island vacations on the family's classic yacht "Helen" and particularly loved Cherry Cove. He also grew beautiful orchids and at one time had over 3,000 plants representing hundreds of orchid hybrids and variations. Later in life, Al said some of his and Dottie's best days were spent traveling together in their motorhome. For over 20 years they traveled to the four corners of the United States, from Alaska to Nova Scotia to Mexico. In Mexico they traveled as far south as the Yucatan Peninsula, and with son Tom and his wife Suzanna, had their motorhomes loaded on a flatbed train car for a ride through Copper Canyon, considered Mexico's Grand Canyon. There were lots of old friends to visit and new friends to meet along the way. Al is survived by his five children (and spouses), Albert Abel Frost III (Vicki), Bruce Hammond Frost (Catherine), Thomas Christopher Frost (Suzanna), Caryl Frost Chabot (Burt), James Michael Frost (Kimberly), as well as 12 grandchildren, three step-grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, three step-great-grandchildren, with two more great-grandchildren on the way! A Celebration of Life gathering will be held at the San Diego Yacht Club, Frost Room, on Thursday, March 22nd from 4pm to 7pm. Family, friends and SDYC members are welcome. Instead of flowers, the family requests any donations be made to the San Diego Yacht Club Sailing Foundation at http://www.sdycsf.org/.