Gwendolyn Grace Meadors Ballentine, 97, formerly of Fort Smith and Alma, passed away peacefully on March 29, at her home in Parrish, FL. She was born in St. Petersburg to Elmer and Viola Carey, spent the first 12 years of her life in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, before moving back to Florida where she graduated from St. Petersburg High School. Gwen was preceded in death by her husbands, Claude Meadors Jr. and Herman Ballentine, her son Carey Meadors, her daughter Caran Stouffer, and her grandson Richard Carangi. She is survived by two daughters, BooBoo Meadors Warner and Claudia Meadors Carangi, 7 grandchildren: Shelly Stouffer Gibbens, Brian Meadors, Carey Warner, Jeff Warner, Wen Meadors Tate, Ben Warner, and Mark Carangi, 17 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.
Gwen enjoyed a long, full, happy, and healthy life. She loved to dance and travel, and was an avid reader, card player and joke teller. At age 18, when thousands of recruits descended on St. Petersburg during World War II to train as soldiers, pilots, and sailors, she was part of the elite Bomb-a-dears. She attended dances, sold war bonds, wrote letters to servicemen overseas and helped at the Don CeSar Hotel, which had been converted into a military convalescent hospital. It was there Gwen met, and married, Claude Meadors Jr., who moved his adventuresome, optimistic, and sociable young wife to Mountainburg, AR.
Throughout her life she volunteered for many causes: the Girl Scouts, the American Cancer Society, local PTAs, numerous libraries, and, even in her 90s, she was a volunteer librarian at Sun City, FL, and an ambassador at her independent living community.
Gwen was a kind, loving, fun and generous wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, and friend, and was loved by all who knew her. She will be greatly missed - but the love we have in our hearts for her will never die.
Arrangements will be forthcoming for an online memorial service, with interment at Gracelawn Cemetery in Van Buren, through Ocker Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Tidewell Hospice in Ellenton-Lakewood Ranch, FL.
