Dr. Rev. William Abernethy

Rev. Dr. William Abernethy William Abernethy BEVERLY The Reverend Dr. William Beaven Abernethy, 70, of Beverly, beloved husband of the Rev. Ann Cornell (Greenawalt) Abernethy, pastor of Protestant Ministries at Brooksby Village, died peacefully after living with Parkinson's disease for 27 years. Born in Missouri, he was the son of the late Bradford Sherman and Mary Jean (Beaven) Abernethy. He was raised and educated in New Brunswick, N.J. Bill enrolled at The Hill School in Pennsylvania and was a member of the Class of 1957. He continued his education at Harvard University, graduating in 1961. He then matriculated at Union Theological Seminary in New York, and later earned his Doctor of Ministry from Andover Newton Theological School. Rev. Abernethy began his ministry (one that would last for over 33 years) as pastor of the North Bennington Congregational Church, North Bennington, Vt., in the fall of 1961. He progressed on to become the pastor of the South Congregational Church of Middletown, Conn., from 1971 to 1976, and most recently, he was the senior minister of the Wellesley Congregational Church in Wellesley, from 1976 until his early retirement in 1993 due to Parkinson's disease. Bill's ministry lived on during his retirement years, as a mentor to young clergy throughout Massachusetts. He found great joy in being able to guide the young minds of the pulpit. Bill also published two books, A New Look for Sunday Morning and Scripture & Imagination, and contributed to other publications. Bill's true passion was his family and the love, thoughts and guidance he shared with them will last forever. He was a great spiritual leader and he will be deeply missed. In addition to his loving wife of 47 years, Bill is survived by his children, Mark Abernethy and his wife, Kristin, of South Windsor, Conn., Sarah Abernethy Oo and her husband, Thein Oo, of Hamilton, Jonathan Abernethy and his wife, Joyce, of New York, N.Y., and Laura Abernethy Gronberg and her husband, Fred, of West Boxford; his beloved grandchildren, Micaela, Joshua and Hannah Abernethy, Christopher and Nicholas Oo, Tyler and Lena Abernethy and Matthew and Rachel Gronberg; his sister Barbara Petersmeyer and brother David Abernethy of California; and several nieces and nephews. His funeral service will be held Saturday in the Chapel at Brooksby Village, Brooksby Village Drive, Peabody, at 2 p.m. Relatives and friends invited. Visiting hours in the Peterson-O'Donnell Funeral Home, 167 Maple St., (Route 62) Danvers, Friday from 4-8 p.m. For online guestbook visit www.legacy.com. Expressions of sympathy may be made in his memory to the Heifer Project International, 1 World Ave., Little Rock, AR 72202 or to Union Theological Seminary 3041 Broadway, New York, NY 10027.