William (Bill, Abe) Harold Abrahams, born August 21, 1940 in Lake Charles, La.

Son of John and Gertrude Abrahams. Brother of Bob Abrahams (Wanda), Jim Abrahams (Zella), Edith Hoffpauir (Dan), Betty Palmer (Bill), Doris Strahan (Jim), Alice Bertrand (Bill) and Grace Burge (Waddell). Father of two, William Blaine Abrahams (Nancy) and Kristina Rose Rhodes (Jamie).

Bill passed on June 10, 2023. A fighter he was, battling leukemia for over a year as well as beating back colon cancer over a decade before. 

Raised in Lake Charles he married Ruth Ellen Hebert (also of Lake Charles) for over 45 years until her passing in 2012. He spent time in Baton Rouge and from there moved to Pennsylvania, New York, Texas, finally settling in Florida, first in Palm Harbor, then Temple Terrace and finally in Apopka.         He was a devoted father of two and grandfather of five; Alexandra, Trey, Cole, Oliver and Ainsley. He remarried in 2013 to Charlotte Elaine Hurley and is survived by her, his sister Alice, his children and grandchildren.   Bill was employed with IBM for nearly 30 years, including a stint in the latter years relocating to Holland on assignment for 3 years. Bill was a member at Thrive Apopka Church. He donated his time there, as well as former churches he attended, to the outreach program: Distributing food to those on need. If you wish to donate in his honor to this cause, please go to www.thriveapopka.com, online giving, and add special instructions: ‘Water and Food Everywhere, In Honor of Bill Abrahams.’

Bill went to school at McNeese State and LSU. Prior to that, he served in the US Navy for 4 years with distinction, except for the AWOL when he and a couple of buddies thought it a fun idea to hitchhike from Key West (while in port on call) to Daytona to catch the race, while in whites! 

Neptune Society is handing remains, and Bill will be entered in a columbarium at Arlington National Cemetery, next to Ruth, who is waiting. Please see this tribute via this link, where memories can be shared: https://obituaries.neptunesociety.com/obituaries/11328747.

Bill was strong-willed, blessed with fortitude and used it to support his family and friends. Selflessness was his nature, as there wasn’t a cause, situation, problem, issue he couldn’t reason or attempt to find a solution for. Bill was not involved in sports activities as a youth but plunged himself into leading Little League in Ulster County New York, served as Den Master for the local Boy Scouts which led to countless times serving as president of many HOA’s. He was the type of friend/man/father that would hitchhike from Virginia back to Louisiana immediately for the funeral of a friend, be at every event/life mile-marker for his children and give flowers to his mother on HIS birthday. A wizard with electronics and mechanics, he rebuilt engines, built doll-houses, repaired dams, created baby duck incubators, rewired/hot-wired houses and cars and basically refused to hire anyone/anything that he thought he could do himself. Truly lived a full life, and most importantly, was faithful to God and Jesus.  ‘Rest well, ye good and faithful servant!”