b. June 10, 1939 – d. September 24, 2025
Frank Kraat, of New Paltz beloved husband, father, educator, and artist, passed away at home on September 24, 2025, surrounded by his family.
Born in Holland in1939, Frank arrived in the United States at the age 2, with his parents, Ted and Nell Kraat, and his grandparents, Frank and Edith Kraat. Frank spent his early childhood in Waldwick and Hoboken, New Jersey. The entire family relocated to a farm in Westtown, New York, where he spent most of his formative years.
Frank attended Orange County Community College, as well as SUNY Geneseo, and became an elementary school teacher in Goshen, NY. During this time, Frank was introduced to community theatre and directed his first play, Little Mary Sunshine. His love for theatre led Frank to pursue higher education at Indiana University, where he studied and taught as a graduate student. While studying and teaching at Indiana, Frank met the love of his life, Susan (Brown) Kraat. Together, they built a life filled with creativity, scholarship, and devotion to family. After graduation, Frank and Susan moved to New York City before making their forever home in New Paltz, NY, where they raised their two daughters, Betsy and Carolyn.
A pillar of the SUNY New Paltz Theatre Arts Department, Frank devoted his career to teaching, directing, and building an enduring legacy. Frank contributed to the SUNY New Paltz Theatre Art Department’s foundational curriculum and curated each semester’s theatrical productions, many of which he directed. Under his leadership, the Theatre Arts program grew into a thriving center for performance, scholarship, and engagement. Frank’s passion was best highlighted by his commitment to community involvement. Whether leading productions with the community theater collective Ninety Miles Off Broadway or pushing the envelope with new interpretations of classics or avant garde works with his college students – Frank understood the impact of connection, creativity, and community.
For over thirty summers, Frank spearheaded the New Paltz Summer Repertory Theatre, inviting students, local residents, and guest artists to participate. A wide variety of summer productions, from popular musicals to the greater canon of theatre, highlighted Frank’s breadth of artistic vision and made live theatre accessible to the New Paltz community.
While teaching at SUNY New Paltz, Frank combined his love of the English theatre and his passion for travel into a new, two-week course offering, The London Theatre Seminar. The new course invited students to register for a two-week winter break program where they would attend 10+ plays, musicals, and dance performances across London, participate in workshops with professional theatre artists, and be immersed in British theatre and culture. The London Theatre Seminar ran successfully at the college for over 25 years.
After retiring from SUNY New Paltz, Frank joined the board at the Philies Bridge Farm and worked tirelessly to support their mission of promoting local, sustainable, and organic agriculture. From working in the fields, to organizing farm-to-table dinners, to capital improvement projects, Frank’s contributions to the farm had great impact.
In his home life, Frank enjoyed cooking and travel and often combined the two. Family memories were made amidst camping trips, foggy nights, and New England seaside adventures. His humor—sometimes recalling mishaps like food poisoning or the unpredictability of tides—was always present. It was during his visits to the seashore that he began sketching and painting. Frank studied with local artist, Kevin Cook, and expanded his love for the Hudson River School of painting, a style which is often present in his work.
Frank is remembered for his artistry, his influence, and his humor. He is survived by his wife of fifty-six years, Susan Kraat; Children, Betsy Kraat (Jonathan Sadow) and Carolyn Cave (Matthew Cave); grandchildren Conan Kelley and Dennis Kelley, Oliver Cave and Solveig Cave; sister Edith Sherman (Jeff Sherman) and brother Peter Kraat as well as many nieces and nephews. Frank leaves a legacy of creativity and generosity that will live on through all who knew him.
A celebration of life will take place at the New Paltz Reformed Church on October 18th at 4:00pm; a reception will follow.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to one of the following organizations:
The Professor Frank Kraat Endowed Student Travel Scholarship Fund
Join the family! 
