Bob Frisby

(May 15, 2004)

Services will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 20 at the United Methodist Church in Cody for former Park County state legislator, Bob Frisby, who died peacefully Saturday, May 15, surrounded by his family at The Heartland in Powell, where he had been living for the past two years.

He was born Sept. 23, 1920 in Casper, son of Jonathan Elliott and Bessie Snyder Frisby. He was educated in the Casper schools and at the University of Wyoming.

He enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army in 1942 and was discharged as a captain in 1946. He served in the China-Burma-India Theatre. In 1950 he was the first officer from Cody recalled to service in the Korean War. He married the love of his live, Peggy Holm of Cody, in Chicago, Ill., on April 14, 1943. He was Senior Vice President of First State Bank (later First Wyoming Bank) in Cody and served on the Board of Directors for many years. From 1955 to 1960 he served as Park County Assessor.

Prior to that, he owned and operated Frisby Sales and Service, a dealership for Jeeps, Studebakers, and Case farm machinery in Cody. He was a partner with Jack Richard in the Cody Times and with Gordon Brodrick in the OK Chevrolet in Powell. He and his wife Peg built and operated the Frontier

Motel in Cody for 10 years. In 1970, he was elected to the Wyoming Legislature, where he represented Park County for 18 years. He was chairman of the House Revenue Committee and after election to the Senate in 1976, served as chairman of the Senate Revenue Committee.

He was passionate about keeping property taxes low for homeowners, farmers, and ranchers and led the effort to amend the Wyoming Constitution to accommodate a tier tax system. Frisby was involved in establishing the Permanent Mineral Trust Fund and led the debate against the proposed medical school at the University of Wyoming. He served as State Staff Coordinator for Sen. Alan Simpson for six years. Frisby was a long-time supporter of Northwest College in Powell, serving on the Board of Trustees in the early 70s.

He was influential in the historic expansion of the college district to include Cody and Meeteetse. He was vice president of the Northwest College Foundation Board of Directors for many years and chairman of the investment committee. In 1987, the college honored him by naming the Social Sciences building for him. He was past president of the Cody Country Chamber of Commerce, past commander of the American Legion Fred Coe Post #20, a charter member and past president of Cody Rotary, past chairman of the Park County Republican Party, a life member of the University of Wyoming Alumni Association and of the Cody Elks Lodge. He was active in the Masonic Lodge, having served as a past master of Shoshone Lodge No. 21 as well as a member of the Scottish Rite and Shrine. He was a long time active member of the Cody United Methodist Church. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Wyoming Community Foundation and was an appointee to the Wyoming Judicial Supervisory Commission.

He is survived by three children, son Robert E. Frisby (Betty) of Boise, Idaho, son Donald R. Frisby (Judy) of Cody and daughter Gloria Hedderman (Larry) of Powell; brother Wayne Frisby of Arroyo Grande, Calif.; and sister, Mabel Jacquot of Casper; six grandchildren, Erika Frisby Huckabee (Jared) and Margaret Frisby of Cody, Kate Frisby Pinkalla (Tyler) of Waukesha, Wisc., Beth Frisby Voss (Bob) of Chicago, Josie Hedderman of Cody and Anne Hedderman of Laramie.

He was preceded in death by wife Peg, of 50 years, his parents, three brothers and two sisters.