J Fred Bobbitt

Bobbitt, J. Fred, 77, the former owner and founder of Bobbitt Funeral Chapel in St. Petersburg, died Friday, April 18th, 2003 at St. Anthony?s Hospital of cancer. He was born in Norlina, NC and was a 1942 graduate of Norlina High School. From 1942 ? 1943, he served one year of college preparatory at the Oak Ridge, NC Military Institute. He enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1943 and graduated a Second Lieutenant, Bombardier in 1944 in Roswell, NM. He was discharged from the Air Force in 1945 at Drew Field in Tampa. From 1945 ? 1946, Fred worked at Sears, Roebuck & Co. located on 9th Street and 2nd Avenue North. In 1946, he attended North Carolina State College in Raleigh and began his employment in 1947 with DuPont Chemical Company in Richmond, VA. In 1949, Fred began his funeral service employment at the former Wilhelm-Thurston Funeral Home in downtown St. Petersburg. He was a 1951 graduate of Eckels College of Mortuary Science in Philadelphia where he worked for Harold B. Mulligan Funeral Home. Upon returning to St. Petersburg, he began working for C. James Mathews Funeral Home, where he worked until 1963 when he opened Bobbitt Funeral Chapel at 4400 66th Street North in St. Petersburg. The funeral home remained at that location until 1988 when it was relocated to it?s present location at 7820 38th Avenue North. In 1990, he sold Bobbitt Funeral Chapel to Anderson-McQueen Funeral Homes. He was Past President of Norwood Elementary School PTA; Past President of the Pinellas County Funeral Directors Association; Past Master of Nitram Lodge #188 F & AM; charter member of the St. Petersburg Sertoma Club; and a member of Northside Baptist Church, the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, Sapphire Lakes, NC Golf and Country Club; the National Funeral Directors Association and the Florida Funeral Directors Association. He was an avid golfer and was always in search of that elusive hole in one. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Zeta Girard Bobbitt; 3 daughters, Karla B. Harrell of Green Cove Springs, FL; Kimberly B. Adams of Largo; Kerry B. Mathieson of Seminole; 1 sister, Barbara B. Covert of Largo; and 5 grandchildren, Katie, Kelly and Bennett Harrell, Jonathan James Adams, and Brian Frederick Mathieson. Visitation will be 5:00 ? 8:00 P.M. Monday at Anderson-McQueen Funeral Homes & Cremation Tribute Center-Bobbitt Chapel, 7820 38th Avenue North. The Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 A.M. Tuesday at St. Mark?s United Methodist Church, 6801 38th Avenue North. Entombment will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery. Online guestbook @ www.andersonmcqueen.com.