Athey, Billy Franklin, 84, of Odessa, FL passed away unexpectedly and peacefully on October 16, 2014. Preceded in death by his parents, Buck and Nellie Athey of Salisbury, NC; sister, Dorothy (age 4); and his son, William G. (Bill) Athey of Odessa, FL. Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Georgia Lee Athey and his daughter, Sybil Ann Bowen (Rick) of St. Louis, MO. He will be greatly missed by many including grandsons, Ryan Athey (Ortheline) of Odessa, FL and Wilson Athey of Tampa, FL; granddaughters, Leanne and Marisa Bowen of St. Louis, MO; and two great grandchildren. Born and raised in North Carolina, Bill has been a Tampa Bay resident since 1971. Bill proudly retired after serving 20 years in the US Air Force and also retired from the US Post Office. He was an avid NC Tarheels and St. Louis Cardinals fan. A visitation and service will be held from 6-8pm on Tuesday, October 21 at Blount & Curry~West Chapel, 6802 Silvermill Dr, Tampa. Graveside service with military honors will be held at 11am on Wednesday, October 22 at the Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Boy Scout Troop 68 (Keystone UMC), 16301 Racetrack Rd, Odessa, FL 33556.
