David Wesley Froman (December 31, 1938 – February 8, 2010) was an American actor, born in

Miami, Oklahoma Miami ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States, founded in 1891. Lead and zinc mining were established by 1918, causing the area's economy to boom. This area was part of Indian Territory. Miami is the capit ...

. His parents were Guy and Gertrude (Helm) Froman. He taught for many years at

Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (NEO) is a Public college, public community college in Miami, Oklahoma. Established as the Miami School of Mines in 1919, NEO has an enrollment of approximately two thousand students. The Golden Norsemen is th ...

(NEO), where he was professor of speech and theater."Obituaries: David Froman"
''Miami News Record'' (Miami, OK). February 10, 2010. Accessed June 12, 2018. He was best known for his recurring role as Lieutenant Bob Brooks on the popular television series '' Matlock''.

Career

Froman graduated NEO in 1961, and immediately began teaching speech and theater. In 1969, he left Oklahoma to launch his acting career.Stanley, Tim
"Actor's best character was his own"
''Tulsa World''. February 12, 2010. Accessed June 15, 2018. Froman appeared on 56 episodes of '' Matlock'' from 1986 to 1994 as Lt. Bob Brooks. He also appeared on several other television shows of the 1980s and 1990s, such as ''

Hill Street Blues ''Hill Street Blues'' is an American serial police procedural television series that aired on NBC in prime-time from January 15, 1981, to May 12, 1987, for 146 episodes. The show chronicles the lives of the Metropolitan Police Department staff ...

'', '' Trapper John, M.D.'', ''

21 Jump Street ''21 Jump Street'' is an American police procedural drama television series created by Patrick Hasburgh and Stephen J. Cannell for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It aired from April 12, 1987 to April 27, 1991, spanning 103 episodes over five s ...

'', ''

Cheers ''Cheers'' is an American television sitcom, created by Glen and Les Charles, Glen Charles & Les Charles and James Burrows, that aired on NBC for eleven seasons from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/C ...

'' and ''

Diagnosis Murder ''Diagnosis: Murder'' is an American Mystery fiction, mystery medical drama, medical crime drama television series starring Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who solves crimes with the help of his son Steve, a homicide detective ...

''. In addition, he played Captain K'Nera in an episode of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''. Froman was well known for his role of both Gunther Wagner, Schuyler Whitney's faithful servant, and Gunther's twin brother Bruno on ''

The Edge of Night ''The Edge of Night'' is an American mystery crime drama soap opera, created by Irving Vendig and produced by Procter & Gamble Productions. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that network for most of its ...

'' from 1980 to 1984. In 1986, he appeared in the TV film '' Blind Justice'', starring

Tim Matheson Tim Matheson (born Timothy Lewis Matthieson; December 31, 1947) is an American actor and director. Some of his best-known acting roles include the title character of the 1960s animated ''Jonny Quest (TV series), Jonny Quest'' TV series, Eric "O ...

. Froman also worked as a drama instructor at NEO in Miami, Oklahoma. He served as president of the Miami Little Theatre as well as acting on stage in several productions as late as November 2, 2009.

Personal

Froman married Audrey Stein in Staten Island, New York on December 23, 1978. They continued living there until 1984, then they moved to Los Angeles. In 1994, they moved from Los Angeles to Miami, Oklahoma. He returned to the faculty of NEO, and where he directed shows and musicals. He retired from teaching in 2002, but resumed as a part-time teacher in 2007.

Death

On February 8, 2010, Froman died of cancer in Miami, Oklahoma, aged 71. He was survived by his wife, Audrey, and their six children. A celebration of Froman's life was held at NEO, where faculty and students articulated on his impact on their lives. Barbara George, chairwoman of NEO's Fine Arts Department, said "the respect for Froman among students and faculty members was so great that any praise from him, made us all glow. His disappointment would have been crushing, so everyone always strove to do their best and beyond, if only for David...He will be greatly, profoundly missed, but the lessons he taught us all will live on forever."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Froman, David 1938 births 2010 deaths People from Miami, Oklahoma Male actors from Oklahoma American male television actors Deaths from cancer in Oklahoma Male actors from Los Angeles Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College faculty