Nancy Abberger

Published in the Orlando Sentinel on January 5, 2012 ABBERGER, NANCY HARDY, died peacefully on December 31, 2011 after a long illness. Born June 21, 1925 in Augusta, Georgia, she was the daughter of Dr. Eric West Hardy and Madolon Moore Hardy. A graduate of Agnes Scott College, she had resided in Orlando since 1952. Early in her adult life Mrs. Abberger combined a love of the outdoors with keen organizational skills as staff member with the Girl Scouts of America, serving as Executive Director in Columbus, Georgia, and Assistant Director in New Orleans, Louisiana. She continued her work in this milieu some years later, serving as Arts Director, Program Director, and later as a member of the Board of Trustees at her beloved Eagles Nest Camp in Brevard, North Carolina. Upon settling in Orlando, Mrs. Abberger was very active in the community, serving as president of the Jr. League of Orlando, president of the Rosalind Club, president of the Opera Guild of Orlando (later the Orlando Opera Company), and president of the Florida Symphony Women's Auxiliary. She also volunteered and worked for the Morse Foundation in Winter Park serving as Head Docent, and as an assistant to Hugh F. McKean. Later in life, she also had a successful career as a dealer of women's fashion clothing for the Carlisle Company. An active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Orlando for more than 50 years, she is the author of Heart of the City, a definitive history of that church published in 1988. Mrs. Abberger was a great lover of art. She was an accomplished pianist, and her passion for music was reflected in the many volunteer hours she devoted to numerous arts organizations in the Orlando area. She was also a talented water color painter, and had a great appreciation for the written word as well, particularly poetry. Among her many hobbies, she was also known for her cooking and enjoyed gardening. She is survived by her husband of 61 years, Benjamin L. Abberger, Jr., MD; and three sons, Benjamin L. Abberger, III of Tallahassee (Wendy), John A. Abberger of Toronto (Gretchen), and William W. Abberger of Tallahassee (Mary Anne); as well as by four beloved grandchildren, Caroline, Mary Ellen, Beth, and Julia. She was preceded in death by her son Eric H. Abberger. She is mourned also by compassionate caretakers and companions Mrs. Johnnie Mae Brown, and Mrs. Ann Pearl Jones. The family respectfully requests that in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Nancy Hardy Abberger Endowed Book Fund at Davidson College (Davidson College Library, Box 7200, Davidson, NC 28035), or the Eagles Nest Foundation (P.O. Box 5127, Winston-Salem, NC, 27113).