Donald Ralph Frohlich III

Donald R. Frohlich III,70, passed away peacefully on April 29, 2026, in Houston, TX. He was born in Lewistown, MT on July 7,1955 to Shirley M. Frohlich and Donald R Frohlich, Jr. Don was the oldest of four children.

After graduating from Bishop Kelly High School in Boise, ID he earned a B.S. in Biology in 1978 from The College of Idaho, an MS in Biology 1983 and a PhD in Biology in 1989, both from Utah State University. His early career involved the study of sociobiology and ecology of solitary bees and insect biochemistry and genomics. He did postdoctoral work as a Visiting Scientist at the Insect Molecular Genetics Group in the Institute for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, in Heraklion, Crete, the Departments of Physiology and Biology at the University of Pavia, in Italy, and the Department of Plant Sciences and the Center for Insect Science at the University of Arizona.

He went to work at the University of St. Thomas in 1994 where he taught Introductory Biology (lecture and lab), Bioinformatics, and Evolution. He served as Chair of Biology from 2001-2007. His most current research interests included evolution and emergence, Science, Philosophy and Spirituality at an Interface, Biosemiotics, molecular population biology, phylogenetics, and evolution in invertebrates. These varied interests in scholarship allowed him to collaborate with many diverse groups all over the world. He served as a Visiting Professor at the School of Philosophy, Papal Seminary and Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth Pontifical Institute for Philosophy and Religion in Pune, India (2016-2024), and spent a sabbatical as a visiting scholar in the Department of Philosophy at Del Rosario University in Bogota, Colombia and the Department of Philosophy in UPAEP in Puebla, Mexico in 2017. He was also a University Fellow (2015 to 2020) for Faith and Science in the Center for Faith and Culture at UST. Don retired in 2025.

He was always reading something new and was deeply interested in collaboration among organisms (symbiosis) as well as Engaging the Religion-Science Dialog. He loved to travel, and he was an avid grower of orchids and a very talented painter.

Don was a wonderful example of a life-long learner. He was a trusted mentor and a caring educator who wanted to instill in his students a love for biology and for thinking about things in a deep way. He was a sharp thinker and enjoyed engaging everyone in conversation.

Don is survived by his mother, Shirley M. Frohlich and three siblings: Charles Frohlich, Cheryl (Merle) Stoltz and Craig (Barbara) Frohlich and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Donald R Frohlich, Jr. and Grandparents.

Special thanks to Shelley McKenzie, RN who cared for Don during the last 3 months of his life when he was in Hospice. We couldn’t have asked for a better nurse and caregiver!

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. on May 22, 2026 in the Chapel of St. Basil at the University of St. Thomas-Houston followed by a reception.

There will also be a funeral mass in Billings, Montana at a later date in June.