Hibbard Casselberry Jr.

Hibbard Casselberry, Jr., 96, died February 5, 2019 at John Knox Village, Pompano Beach, Florida. "Hib" was born on January 2, 1923, in Chicago IL, to Mary Elizabeth Leonard "Mel" and Hibbard Casselberry and the family moved to Winter Park, FL, soon after.  He grew up on Lake Maitland with his brother, Leonard, and sister, Molly.  Hib attended schools in Winter Park, The Darrow School in Mt. Lebanon, NY, and The Bolles School in Jacksonville, FL. On December 7, 1942, he enlisted in the US Coast Guard as an Apprentice Seaman with training for FN Fireman and EM Electrician's Mate duty. Hib served on the USS Peterson Destroyer Escort (DE-152) performing convoy duty in the Mediterranean and North Atlantic and saw action with German U-boats. On June 9, 1945, he married his high school sweetheart, Audrey Rodgers, in Boston, MA. When the war ended they returned to Florida, where their daughter, Diane was born. Hib worked as a bookkeeper for his father's corporations in Casselberry, FL.  After his divorce, Hib moved to Peoria, Illinois to attend Bradley University's building construction program. He met his second wife, Martha Thomas, on a blind date and they married in July 1954. The couple moved to Lake Wales, FL, where Hib developed the Temple Grove Terrace subdivision and worked 11 years as a local home designer. In 1965, he moved his family to Fort Lauderdale, FL, and joined Christ United Methodist Church. Hib initially worked for K Way Homes, and later for architects Herman Hostetler and Paul Bradley.  At the age of 72, he retired from the City of Fort Lauderdale Architectural Department, and then devoted the rest of his life to historic preservation with an emphasis on lighthouses. 

Hib was preceded in death by his parents, stepmother, sister, and brother. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Martha; brother, John Casselberry; sister, Lillian Casselberry Carroll; sons, Tom (Barbara), Joe, and Billy (Angela); daughters, Diane Rogers, Mary (Ray) Thompson, and Carol (David) Barnett; grandsons Jonathan (Jenni) Manuel, Mike Guerbo, and Brian (Ashley) Casselberry; granddaughters Kelly (Brett) Williams, Sarah (Adam) Smith, and Rachel Thompson; great-grandchildren Jackson Manuel and Clementine Casselberry; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He will be sorely missed by his family and friends.

On Saturday March 23 at 3pm, Hib's service of Death and Resurrection will be officiated by Reverends Brett Opalinski of Christ United Methodist Church, Fort Lauderdale, FL, and Darryl Powell, Chaplin of John Knox Village, in the Lakeside Dining Room at 651 SW 6th Street, Pompano Beach, FL 33060. Please arrive early to allow time to go through gate security.  

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Christ United Methodist Church, Fort Lauderdale, FL (www.christchurchfl.org), or the Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society (www.hillsborolighhouse.org).

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