I realize this information has been posted and emailed in several places and I apologize for the re-post but I just wanted to reach a few more people if I can.

Kelly Frost passed away on Saturday, May 9, 2009. She was diagnosed with a blood disorder earlier in the week and was taken to the emergency room Saturday morning. Though the doctors did their best, she passed away that afternoon.

Kelly’s memorial service has been scheduled for Friday, May 15 at 2:00 on the Salem College campus in the RG house. Please contact Nada Bowen Werner with questions and for directions. You could also visit http://www.salem.edu for a map. Donations can be made to AARF- animal adoption rescue foundation or Salem College in Kelly’s name.

Kelly Frost was a remarkable woman. She touched my life is so many wonderful ways and I will always remember her. She had an infectious laugh and her kindness was always heartfelt. She was an amazing athlete but also an amazing teammate and always a good sport.

She was beautiful. She had stunning blue eyes. I envied her physique. But the thing that made Kelly so beautiful was the fact that her inner beauty was even greater than her outer beauty. She had a kindness that so many in our world today lack. Her soul was pure and her mind thirsty for knowledge.

I don’t think I ever told her this and now I wish I had but she is the one who got me interested in eastern philosophy. I was brought up introduced only to Christian theory. I wasn’t taught anything else because it was assumed that I would just accept what I was taught and live my life accordingly. Little did they know…

It wasn’t just that subjects she explored were interesting, it was the passion she had when speaking about them. It made me want to learn more, to experience the passion she demonstrated. Because of that introduction, I explored many topics that I believe have made me a better person, the person I am today. Because she shared that passion and those beliefs with me, she also gave to me some of her thirst for knowledge so I can continue to learn passionately and grow as a person.

She had a love for animals that I identify with. She couldn’t stand to see another living creature hurting, not just the four legged and furry either. If she saw someone crying, she offered comfort and a shoulder to lean on. If she saw an argument, she would de-escalate the situation with her soft tone and gentleness.

Kelly Frost even saved me once. I was having an asthma attack and couldn’t find my inhaler. Kelly sprinted across campus with her inhaler, somehow got into my dorm, and because I had collapsed on the floor from lack of oxygen, she sat me up and dispensed the medication into my airway. She stayed to make sure that I was okay and even helped me look for my own inhaler. Even after we found it, she told me that all I ever need do if I was in that same situation was call her. And I knew she meant it.

She was an amazing woman who touched every life she came across. She was an outstanding person, an inspired woman, and an excellent friend. I know I’m not alone when I say I will miss her more than words can express.

Kelly, I miss you already. I bounce back and forth between denial and heart wrenching sadness. I try to describe you and, as usual, words fail me. I can never capture all that you are. Thank you for helping me become the person I am and for seeing the possibilities of the person I can become. Thank you for being a living example of all that is right in the world.  You are extraordinary and every life you’ve touched has become extraordinary just from knowing you. Know that you live through everyone who has known you. And, still, the world is a little less beautiful without you in it.

Kelly Frost