Carolyn Frapart Krause

Carolyn (“Kay”) Frapart Krause passed away peacefully at the age of 86 on June 12, 2024. Kay was born in Shreveport, LA on August 25, 1937, to parents, Samuel J. Shapiro and Ruth Stern Shapiro. She spent her youth in Houston, graduating from San Jacinto High School. Kay married Lewis Frapart in 1955. They moved to Brownsville, TX in 1960, where they raised their three children, Marsha, Randy, and Richard. In that small town, she left her mark. She was active in the community, including in the Junior League, and volunteering at the Gladys Porter Zoo. In Brownsville’s small Jewish community, Kay did everything she could to build and maintain a Jewish life for her children and the other Jewish youth of Brownsville. Kay taught Sunday School at Temple Beth El, as did many of the other mothers in the community. Kay served as President of Temple Beth El’s Sisterhood, and later as adult advisor to the Valley BBYO chapter. Through her role as Valley BBYO advisor, the Jewish youth in the Valley were able to experience Jewish communal life and were exposed to regional and national BBYO events. Kay was also committed to, and prioritized education. Kay and her husband Lewis, saw to it that their children completed college, two of whom earned advanced degrees. She was known to put others first and to give her all in whatever she did. 

In 1976, Kay moved to Houston, first as a legal secretary at Hirsch & Westheimer, and then as an assistant to Rabbi Roy Walter at Congregation Emanu El. With stellar organization skills, she was recruited by famed trial lawyer Stephen Susman to serve as his top legal assistant. She worked in such capacity at Susman Godfrey, LLP for over twenty years. She was the top legal assistant on many of its early and successful court room victories. In 1994, Kay moved to Dallas where she became active at Temple Shalom, serving on its board of trustees. Kay’s interest in Jewish life led her to active participation in the Texas Jewish Historical Society. In 1998, she married Dan Krause of Dallas. Following Dan’s death in 2020, Kay returned to Houston where she resided until her death.

Kay was preceded in death by her parents. Kay is survived by her children: Marsha and Joe Cohen, Randy and Elyse Frapart, and Richard and Susan Frapart; her grandchildren: Leah and Joshua Gold, Michael Cohen and Laura Mardis, Andrew Cohen and Katherine Griffin, Jonathan Frapart, Lauren and Stephen Friedlander, Samantha and Jacob Marcus, Adam Frapart and Lauren Frank, and Stephen Frapart; her 9 great grandchildren; her siblings: Suzanne and Mel Rockoff, Armand and Lynn Shapiro, and Marc and Jeri Shapiro; her first husband of 36 years, Lewis Frapart; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. A special thank you goes to Sylvia Jackson for her compassionate care for Kay.

A private graveside service took place on Sunday. A Memorial Service will take place Sunday, June 16, 2024, at 1:00pm with Rabbi Roy A. Walter officiating.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Miriam Browning Jewish Learning Center https://www.beth-israel.org/lifelong-learning/miriam-browning-jewish-learning-center/at Congregation Beth Israel in Houston or a charity of your choice.