Frederick W. Bethea

Frederick Waddell Bethea went Home to be with the Lord on April 5, 2010 after a lengthy illness. He was born in Jacksonville on September 3, 1923 to the late H.F. and Anne W. Bethea, and a lifelong resident of the city. He attended Fishweir Elementary, John Gorrie Junior High School, and graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in 1941. Following graduation, Mr. Bethea attended Emory University at Oxford before entering the U.S. Army, where he served as a medical assistant. After completing military service, he graduated from the University of Florida, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He remained a loyal lifelong Gator fan.

After graduation, began employment with the Barnett Bank of Jacksonville, and worked there for more than 17 years. After leaving the bank, he became a loan officer with the Small Business Administration, then became the head of the local office’s SCORE and ACE chapters, and presented business improvement seminars to businesses throughout Northeast and Central Florida before retiring in 1988.

While in high school and afterward, Mr. Bethea was a member of the Red Cross Lifesaving Corps at Jacksonville Beach. He loved to hunt and especially to fish. He was a member of Mandarin Presbyterian Church.

Mr. Bethea was preceded in death by his parents, and by his beloved wife of 52 years, Carole Beatty Bethea. He is survived by his sons, Robert (Suzanne) and Dale, and by his three grandchildren, Shane, Lauren and Carolyn.

The family will receive friends on Thursday, April 8 from 6:00 to 8:00 at Hardage Giddens Funeral Home, 4115 Hendricks Avenue. Funeral services will be held at the Hardage Giddens Chapel on Friday, April 9 at 10:00 a. m., the Reverend Kevin Pound, officiating, with internment to follow at Oaklawn Cemetary. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Mandarin Presbyterian Church.