Beverly Burnsed Spencer

Beverly (Baldwin) Burnsed Spencer passed away on Thanksgiving Day, November 28th, 2019. Beverly was born in Tampa, Florida to Manzanita Midgley and Robert Bennett Baldwin on October 23, 1941. She was a 1959 graduate of Lakeland High School in Lakeland, Florida. After graduation Beverly attended her mother’s alma mater, Florida State University, where she was a proud member of Delta Zeta Sorority, serving as its President in her senior year. After graduation, she began her career in education in Lakeland where she met and married Allen Burnsed and had their daughter Laurie. Teaching history and government was her passion, but she eventually transitioned to administration and became the Dean of Students at Lakeland High School where she worked tirelessly for her students. Seeing so many opportunities to improve education she was inspired to run for the Florida Legislature with the slogan “A Woman’s Place is in the House”. In 1976 she was elected as the first woman to ever hold the position from Polk County Florida. Beverly took Tallahassee by storm and kicked off 12 years of legislative service to the people of Florida. During her time in office she chaired 10 different committees received the 1979 Representative of the Year award. In 1988 she left the Legislature and served 4 years as Florida’s Assistant Secretary of State. In 1992 Beverly became the first female Vice President at her beloved Florida State University, hired to oversee the Office of University Relations. In 2006 she retired from FSU and devoted her time to her true passion, volunteerism. Beverly’s list of accomplishments was extensive including many firsts for women. She was most proud of the designation as the 1985 Delta Zeta National Woman of the Year, the 2018 FSU Emeritus Alumni Society Commitment to Excellence award and the 2017 Girl Scout Council of the Florida Panhandle Women of Distinction award. Those who knew Beverly knew that her legacy was not a resume; it was the impact she had on every person she encountered. She was a passionate teacher her whole life and dedicated to serving others. Beverly is survived by her daughter Laurie Burnsed Carbonara, son-in-law Joseph Michael Carbonara, III, grandson Joseph Michael Carbonara, IV (a freshman at Florida State University), and granddaughter Caroline Allyn Carbonara, all of Jacksonville; her brother Bennett (Bumpy) Midgley Baldwin (Michelle) of Nashville; step-daughter Susan Spencer Powers and granddaughter Ashley Page Powers both of Tallahassee and her grandson Ryan Spencer Powers (Kelsey) of Washington, D.C. She is predeceased by her husband Ronald Smith Spencer, Jr. Additionally she is predeceased by her special friends she called sisters, JoAnn Clark Blackwell and Peggy Row Bazzell both of Tallahassee and Janet Hodges Tucker of Lakeland. Funeral service will be at 1:00 PM Friday, December 13th at the Episcopal Church of the Advent, 815 Piedmont Drive, Tallahassee 32312 with the Reverend Richard W. Effinger officiating. Her ashes will be buried in the Memory Garden at the Church following the Service. The family will receive friends in the Advent Parish Hall immediately following the committal of the ashes. Charitable contributions are encouraged, in lieu of flowers, to the Beverly Burnsed Spencer Baseball Scholarship at Florida State University, which Beverly established in February, 2000. Gifts may be made online at https://one.fsu.edu/boosters/athletic-scholarships ; when prompted, please use Fund #B00136. Checks should be made payable to “Seminole Boosters, Inc.,” noting the scholarship name in the memo line, and sent to Mike Dasher, Seminole Boosters, Inc., P.O. Box 1353, Tallahassee, FL 32302. Also memorial contributions may be made to Episcopal Church of the Advent, 815 Piedmont Drive Tallahassee, FL 32312. Susie Mozolic of Bevis Funeral Home is assisting the family with their arrangements. (www.bevisfh.com 850-385-2193)

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Beverly Burnsed Spencer

October 23, 1941 - November 28, 2019