So far, there are few specifics; word came to us from an insider over at ad firm Barkley, where Frankie’s dad, Perry, worked for more than 14 years as an ad executive. The memo notes that the family recently moved to Milwaukee, where Perry accepted a position with Kohl’s.
About a year ago, the last time the Pitch caught up with Abernathy, she told us Perry had held watching parties at the Barkley offices when she made her debut in 2004. Regardless of her antics, she considered him one of her most loyal fans.

Those who knew Frankie only through the glow of the television screen might remember her as an angst-ridden Midwesterner fighting small-town inadequacies, a fear of large boats and relationship turmoil caused by too much merrymaking. But anyone who knew her after the cameras and editing rooms had done their work knew that Frankie’s real personal growth happened after she reflected on how her public persona was received by the rest of America. Like most of us, she was still a work in progress: an art enthusiast, a talented singer, a jack of many trades and, as always, the life of the party. Cheers, Frankie. – Ben Paynter









My thoughts are with her family at this time
Posted at: June 12, 2007 12:02 AM