Wanda Frost was born in 1934 to a father who loved her fiercely until his last day. Her mother died soon after she was born. Wanda told her granddaughters many stories about her childhood cherry cordials for Christmas, sweeping dirt floors, and adventures with her 3 brothers and 3 sisters, all of whom she outlived.
When Wanda met Bill Frost she found a caring and loving husband and father. Bill was the love of her life. She found peace and unconditional love with him and she flourished in that relationship. She traveled the world with him and their daughter, Cecilia, and found a home and son, John, in Brazil.
She went from hair dresser and manicurist to nurse during her marriage, and she continued nursing for over 50 years, about 30 of which were at the Mission Arch Care Center. Every day of nursing, aside of Christmas, was done in a white uniform and hat even when the style changed to scrubs. Wanda was well known for sticking with the traditional uniform with style and flare only she could manage. Wanda supported the family after the oil field crashed and Bill settled into early retirement.
When Wanda’s daughter died in 1998 she persevered with strength and grace that inspired those around her. She would miss her Cecilia every day for the rest of her life. An aching grief found a permanent residence in her heart when she lost Bill in 2010. For almost 17 years she faced the world without him and could have done so sadly, but instead she chose to live a life of joy. Wanda continued working until 2017– into her 80s. She traveled to and with her granddaughters. She spent the twilight of her life loving her great grandson, Keaton, and exploring places like Alaska, Honduras, and Belize. She gifted her granddaughters with memories that will last their lifetimes during the last decades of her life.
Wanda was brave and strong at a time women weren’t, and she stood up for herself at a time women didn’t. She was a dedicated wife and mother, career woman, caretaker, and tremendous friend. She is a beacon of light for those who come behind her.
While in the hospital in January 2019, Wanda made it very clear to her granddaughters that she wanted to thank some people in this obituary and she carefully penned these notes of gratitude:
Wanda’s years of nursing made her keenly aware of what it takes to be a good medical professional, and she was deeply grateful to the staff of the Eastern New Mexico Medical Center emergency room and critical care unit, as they were patient, kind and often funny during her stays with you over the years.
Thank you to Dwight for the friendship that has developed over time. Also thanks to Christine for loving him so completely and making him the man he is today. She cherished the moments she had with you.
Thank you to the staff at Mission Arch for standing next to her all these year. Rosely and Mary spent countless days with Wanda, and she loved each of you dearly. She’s especially thankful for the Sunday church at Mission Arch. Wanda worked weekends and holidays for many years so the younger nurses could be home with their children. This was one of countless acts of silent kindness that filled her days and years.
Wanda specifically wanted each of you to know that she appreciates the residents she cared for over the years at Mission Arch. She’s particularly thankful that the families of the residents trusted her with their loved ones for three decades. Serving as a nurse and caregiver was an honor and privilege.
There aren’t enough words to thank Lorraine, Tony, and Christine for the years of friendship and care. Some people come into your lives and become the best kind of chosen family. Wanda loved each of you like a daughter, son, and granddaughter. Your kindness and generosity made her life better.
She wanted Mary, her niece, and Mary’s husband Bill to know how much they meant to her and how appreciative of she was of the times Mary stood with her through difficult times. Wanda wanted to thank Eddie for helping her through an incredibly rough time and being there for her. She thanks her granddaughters for laughs, adventures, Christmas festivities, and years of love and delight.
Wanda loved her family with a joy and pureness that is exceptional. She wanted her family, especially John, to know how deep her gratitude and love is. Wanda knows the sacrifices John made to care for her and is forever grateful that he is her son. She is so proud of the man he has become.
Finally, thank you to Bill Frost for marrying her and loving her for 55 years. She wanted to thank him for “putting up with her” but the family believes they did a fantastic job lifting each other up for over half a century. Theirs was a love of legend. Wanda wants each of you reading this to know that she does not want you to be sad. She left this earth with gladness and joy in her heart, because she was finally joining the loves of her life again.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm on November 7, 2026, at Anderson-Bethany Funeral Home in Roswell. In lieu of flowers please consider donations to Mission Arch Care Center or the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
