Obituary of Carol Belcher Abernathy

Carol Belcher Abernathy 83, of St. Petersburg, FL passed away April 4, 2021. Born in Milledgeville, GA, to Edith Macken Belcher and Thomas William “T.W.” Belcher in 1937. Her father was an officer in the US Navy and was on active military duty from the time she was born until his death in 1950 when Carol was 12 years old. The family moved quite a bit, but she spent most of her teen years in Jacksonville Beach, FL, where she graduated from Fletcher High School at the age of 16. She went on to attend Stetson University in Deland, FL, where she was President of Pi Beta Phi Sorority and earned a degree in Art. While at Stetson, she married Carroll Jerome “C.J.” Abernathy. 20 years later, Carol went back to school and graduated from Stetson College of Law in St. Petersburg, FL in 1982. Carol had many different careers over the years, including Commercial Artist, Teacher, Arts Administrator, Civil Rights Investigator, Landlord, and County Attorney. A loving wife and mother, she enjoyed music, books, art, dogs, and people. After retirement, she spent several years practicing Tai Chi, and participating in her local Pi Beta Phi Alumnae group, a Book Club, and the Dolce Dulcimer Players group, as well as volunteering with the Church and community. She had many friends and was active in the congregation of First Presbyterian Church. She had a quick wit and a wicked sense of humor, and tales of her escapades over the years have become legend among many. She is survived by her sister, Susan Belcher Keel, and her three children, Douglas Abernathy (Lazara), June Abernathy (Kevin), and Jason Abernathy, as well as 3 grandchildren, Daniel Abernathy (Emily), Jacob Abernathy (Jamie), and Sarah Abernathy, and two great grandchildren, Carson Abernathy and Caden Abernathy. Carol is predeceased by her husband C.J.

 A small gathering of family and friends will be held at Anderson McQueen Funeral Home, 2201 Dr. MLK St. N in St. Petersburg, on Sunday, April 18th, at 2pm followed by a memorial service at 3pm. To view Carol's memorial service, click here

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to WUSF (https://wusf.org) or The Florida Orchestra (https://floridaorchestra.org)