Benjamin Franklin (B. F., Frank) Carney, age 98, died on March 1, 2020 in Nashville, TN. He is survived by his son Dennis Carney and daughter Linda Carney Rogers; stepsons, Ron (Linda) Blanton and Norman (Kim) McNab; stepgrandchildren Tammy (Shane) Swift, Troy (Crystal) Blanton, April McNab (Angie) Lawson and Rachel McNab (Prashanth) Pandurangaiah.
B. F. was born in Ashland City and graduated top of his class in 1941 from Walter Hill High School. He met his high school sweetheart, Laura Mae Youngblood, at the water pump on her first day at the high school, and they married in November 1941. During WWII, he worked at Martin Aircraft Company in Baltimore, MD, teaching women to build airplanes. He spent his spare time taking a radio correspondence course from the National Radio Institute. After the war, he and his bride returned to Tennessee where he worked with Bob Gibson to open Currey’s Radio & TV Sales and Service on Elliston Place. It is believed that he may have been the first person to install a TV antenna and set up a TV in Nashville in the 1950’s.
In the 1940’s, he bought property in Hermitage where a house had burned. Using the rock foundation as the base, he designed and built the house where he lived for 41 years. Laura Mae died in 1966, and he remarried to Elaine Johnson McNab, residing in that location for the 21 years of their marriage. In the late 1960’s, he purchased a dumpy house, refurbished and rented it out. That began a lifelong pursuit of having rental houses with the intent of saving money for retirement and travel. They also built a store on Lebanon Road and successfully ran a ceramic shop for a few years in the late 1970’s.
In 1987, he married Linus Youngblood Blanton, and they designed and built a home in Murfreesboro. Through the years, he continued to enjoy working in the yard, growing a garden, mowing and moving dirt or leaves with his small tractor. They enjoyed traveling in an RV around the country. B. F. proudly claimed that he had been in all 50 states. He was enamored by beautiful scenery, and learning photography from his son Dennis on a trip they shared out West in 1977 allowed him to have memorable pictures featured on the walls of his home or apartment for many years. In 2004, Linus suffered a stroke. B.F. lovingly cared for her through rehab, homecare and ultimately nursing home care when she died in 2010. In fall of 2017 at 96 years of age, he chose to sell his home in Murfreesboro and move to an independent living apartment at Charter Senior Living in Hermitage.
A Celebration of Life Service will be 2:00 pm Friday, March 6, 2020 at Hermitage Funeral Home, 535 Shute Lane, Old Hickory, TN with Rev. Sally Hughes officiating.
The family will receive friends 1 hour prior to the service at the funeral home.
A private family burial will be held at Hermitage Gardens. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to MTSU Campus School (address below, specify on check Foundation # 92059 in memory of B.F. Carney) or the charity of your choice.
Homer Pittard Campus School
923 E. Lytle St.
MTSU Box 4
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
