The Walter Frymire Bursary fund was established to honour the inspiring legacy of one of Kamloops’ most famous weathermen, Walter Frymire. His children have established this fund in his honour to continue the legacy of generosity and community spirit that defined Walter’s life.
This Memorial Award is presented by School District 73 to a graduating Grade 12 student who has been admitted to a post-secondary social justice program or has demonstrated a strong commitment to social justice through volunteer work.
It is the family’s hope that recipients of this award will carry forward Walter’s sense of service and commitment to improve the community. May his positive belief in the goodness of each person and efforts to make a difference in his world live on in the good works done by future award winners.
For more information, visit the School District 73 website at:SD#73 Scholarships + Bursaries. Detailed information can be found in the application located in the ‘School District No. 73 District Scholarships’ section.
Walter John Frymire 1928-2021
During Walter’s nine decades on this earth, he left a legacy of individual connection and community service. Since his death on Dec. 27, 2021, those who loved him lovingly recall how he weathered the joys and sorrows of raising eight kids, being widowed twice, and now treasure memories of his hearty laugh, ready smile, good-natured teasing and mischievous sense of fun.
Walter began life, according to his siblings, as an annoying rascal growing up in Weyburn, Sask. The Frymires were a musical family. His father, Bernard, played fiddle in a band and recruited Walter to be a drummer as a teenager. With five sisters and a brother, Walter often sang and played together with his siblings. Music marked nearly all Frymire gatherings. Walter played in various bands and military groups throughout his life, giving his last drum performance at a family reunion at the age of 90.
Walter attended Notre Dame in Wilcox, Sask., for part of his high school and was a lifelong fan of the Hounds and Father Murray. He left Weyburn to join the navy in 1948, serving for five years and seeing action in Korea aboard various destroyers such as the Sioux and the Algonquin. He was a proud veteran and taught weather to air cadets in Kamloops for many years.
In 1954, he met the love of his life in Lytton, B.C., where he was a new weatherman and Marguerite McKay was a nurse. They married and moved to Prince George, where Marguerite had seven babies in 10 years – a typical Catholic family in those days. Walter was promoted to oversee the Kamloops weather office in 1967. Walter Frymire became a well-known name in Kamloops during the 1970’s and 1980’s as he was on a local radio station several times a day with weather updates and even had a cable TV show called What’s the Weather with Walter Frymire.
Life was busy in Kamloops and Walter was active in many extracurricular activities. Somehow, he got each of his six sons to their hockey, soccer and rugby games and his daughter to piano and voice lessons (most of the boys were forced to endure a few years of piano lessons as well). Walter also gave back to the community, playing various roles on the Our Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH) parish council, the Knights of Columbus, and singing in the church choir later in life. He was on the Brocklehurst Recreation Commission, taught air cadets and, of course, was a drummer in various local bands. When he was honoured with the Knights of Columbus “Family Man of the Year” award, Marguerite, the long-suffering mother, quipped it should be called the “Man Most Away From His Family” award.
Walter completed the last six years of his career as superintendent of all B.C. weather offices and moved to Richmond. However, he kept his house in Brocklehurst and retired there in 1988. For the next 20 years, he turned his attention to family, travel and taking care of his house and yard. He loved gardening and was proud of his many types of roses, bounteous fruit trees and ever-expanding vegetable area. Winning Walter’s annual “Biggest Tomato” contest was a hotly contested and sought-after honour. His son Drew, who lived nearby, was a frequent visitor helping with the lawn, garden and house upkeep as Walter slowed down. Walter teasingly accused Drew of sabotaging his prize tomatoes so Drew could steal the title.
Walter and Marguerite were very happy to greet summertime family and friends to their home. Their door was always open. Walter was ready with a cool beverage and Marguerite would prepare a tasty meal. Walter valued time spent with immediate family, extended family and his large network of friends. His infectious laugh and interest in your innermost thoughts allowed him to get close to many people.
Gregarious, outgoing and friendly, Walter improved any gathering he was part of with his gift of creative embellishment and teasing those he cared for. Always young at heart, he was the “fun” uncle for family and friends, often laughing with his head tilted back and his gold fillings on display for all to see. He loved to beat his sons and others at tennis, ping pong, cards and board games, cackling with glee when he prevailed – much to Marguerite’s dismay. He never lost his playfulness, even days before he died, when a game of balloon toss in his wheelchair would awaken the old chuckle and laugh.
Walter had his own unique expressions, many of which have now made it into the Frymire family vocabulary. Most of his kids have carried on some version of “Pass me the flipper dipper,” “Whip whap way you go,” “Get to your cart mart,” and on birthdays or Father’s Day, “Okay, cough it up,” or “Fork it over.” His children can now appreciate and sympathize with Walter’s failed efforts to name the child he wanted, incorrectly listing all six other kids and sometimes even the dog before finding the correct name.
Walter’s faith was also part of his positive, hopeful approach to life. His cheery “Hey hey” when greeting arrivals was heartfelt and sincere. He was able to see the good in each person he met and his interest in their lives made them feel welcome and appreciated. Always rooting for the underdog, he was a strong supporter of the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (CCODP) and even took a trip to Chiapas, Mexico, with this group to learn more about relief efforts.
Walter’s nine decades on this earth were marked by kindness, laughter and generosity. While he faced hardship, pain and loss, it never diminished his persistent optimism and enjoyment of others. Even when vascular dementia took away his memories and ability to communicate in his last years, he remained a favourite of caring staff at an assisted-living facility and later a personal care home in Kamloops.