Yung Ja “Bobbie” Frey

Beloved Skagway resident and long-time ferry crew cook Yung Ja “Bobbie” Frey, 88, died May 16 in Juneau.
Bobbie was born on March 1, 1938 in Seoul, Korea and was raised there. As a young woman, she met Skagway resident John M. “Jay” Frey while he was stationed in Korea with the U.S. Army in the early 1960s. When he was scheduled to return stateside, Jay asked Bobbie for one of her shirts, and her family said, “He’s never coming back.”  But a few weeks later, she received a picture of him in the shirt with a note, “Re-up.” Bobbie said she didn’t know what it meant, but Jay indeed had re-upped his military service and came back to Korea with a wedding dress for her. They were married in Seoul on November 13, 1962.
Bobbie and Jay moved to Skagway in July 1965, and she received her certificate of naturalization in September 1969. The couple had no children but were part of Skagway’s fabric. Bobbie loved to play cribbage and won a big tournament in 1987.
 Bobbie loved traveling, good food and was a cook in local restaurants. She took a job with the Alaska Marine Highway, where she became a well-known and beloved chef on board many Southeast Alaska ferry vessels for more than 30 years before her retirement. Often, when she saw friends on the ferry and had a moment, she’d sneak back in the kitchen and slip friends some of “the good stuff” she had prepared for the crew.
Jay, a respected union leader and a member of Skagway’s City Council, died on May 20, 2005. Bobbie remained in Skagway and loved going to coffee and playing cribbage with local seniors. She also returned to Korea more often for long visits with family.
Bobbie left Skagway in 2025 to move into the Haines Assisted Living facility, where she quickly made new friends, like always. Recently she moved to Riverview Senior Living in Juneau, as she needed more care at Bartlett Regional Hospital. Her friends and family thank those who tended to Bobbie.
Yung Ja “Bobbie” Frey is survived by: a brother Dukja Yu; sister Soon Ae; nephews Kil Sun You and Hong Sun You, all of Seoul; many friends in Skagway; and dear friend Yong Mickelsen of Juneau.
She will be laid to rest next to her husband at the Skagway Cemetery. A graveside service is planned for May 29 at 3 p.m., with a memorial celebration potluck to follow at the Presbyterian Fellowship Hall.