[TheForge] Passing on

[Jerry Frost]

A week ago my sister, Shannon, called to say Father was asking for me.

Father'd been bedridden for the past year or so, Mother, Shannon and her
husband Chris have been taking care of him. I've been waiting for THE call
for a while. We made arrangements for me to fly south soonest, though Deb
wanted to come there was no way to arrange care for the animals on such
short notice so she stood watch here. Last monday's redeye got me to Seatac
at 5:30am. The rented car and lots of coffee got me to Wenatchee before
11:00am.

Dad was lucid almost all day monday and we talked frequently. He got those
things important to the dying out of the way quickly, we never danced around
the important things with each other. Afterward we reminisced, mostly about
metal spinning.

Father was a metal spinner for more than 30 years, one of the best there
ever was. He taught me everything important there is to know about metal
working, heck working in general. There are of course an infinite number of
details neither of us know about, let alone know but he taught me how to
figure them out. The simple secret is: Pay attention to the metal (material)
and machinery, it'll tell you everything you need to know.

Some of my earliest memories are of sitting behind the tailstock of his
spinning lathe, playing race car with the takeup wheel while he spun. Dad's
version of babysitting dontchaknow. <grin> My race car was metallic grey or
silver or red or golden, depending on what he was spinning. Each race car
had it's own sound and feel and look as I roared along. Father taught me to
watch, listen and feel firsthand(butt?) and there I thought I was having
fun. <grin>

He didn't want a service though he picked a patch of flowers along the
fence, with a view of the Columbia river above Wenatchee for his ashes. A
portion of his ashes will be coming here to be scattered in the wild roses
and fireweed in front of our house. The spot has a view of the house, the
goats he so delighted in when he visited, my (under construction) shop and
Mt. Denali.

In time Mother will rest in the roses in Wenatchee as she chooses and here
with the wild roses, fireweed and Father

George Alvin Frost was born on Halloween, October 31, 1917 and passed on
yesterday, friday August 13, 2004 at 5:15 pm pacific time. He passed with
his dignity, at home, in his own bed, surrounded by family, at peace, his
work done. His last words were of his love for his wife, my Mother and the
last thing he heard were her words of love for him.

I can't think of a better way to go.

Please don't grieve for us, we're relieved, our spirits are high.

Life is good.

Love and hugs all.

Jerry
------------------------
If it ain't forged
it ain't real.
Wrought iron is.
The FrostWorks

Meadow Lakes, AK.