Obituary of Abigail Rosenson Overton

Abigail Rosenson Overton, 51, died October 21, 2021, in Pittsboro, NC.

She was born June 5, 1970, in Chapel Hill, NC, to Leon and Mary Rosenson.

She will be lovingly remembered for her dynamic personality, her good humor, and her fiery, generous spirit. Abby was a source of support, encouragement, and joy for her family and her wide circle of friends.

Once you were one of her people, she held onto you. She was outspoken for what she felt was right, and willing to lead. She was a soulmate to her husband, and a nurturing and fiercely protective momma bear to her children.

Abby was a lifelong actor. Her first big role came in elementary school, where she played Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit. While attending Chapel Hill High School, she was cast opposite her future husband Ed in Anything Goes. After earning her BA in Psychology from the College of William and Mary, she pursued her passion for acting in community theater throughout the Triangle. That passion led Abby and Ed to New York, where Abby earned an MFA in Theater from The Actor's Studio Drama School in 2003. She worked in New York for several years, appearing in plays, independent films, and online media. After returning to Chapel Hill and starting a family, she continued to perform regularly, often at the ArtsCenter in Carrboro and with the fellow artists of Odyssey Stage.

Abby was committed to work that made a difference in her community and the world. One of her first jobs was at Learning Services, where she provided head injury rehabilitation patients both life skills training and re-entry support. In 1994 she began volunteer service as a community educator at the Orange County Rape Crisis Center, and she went on to serve for several years as the center’s staff coordinator for education and outreach. She worked for a number of years with From the Mountain, devoted to helping women in Afghanistan support their families by earning a living wage spinning cashmere yarn.

Abby loved all kinds of  live performances: concerts, dance, theater, and Carolina basketball. She enjoyed movies and TV shows that had rich character interactions and loved discussing what she'd seen. She especially loved Shakespeare and was an active member and leader of a reading group for many years. She also found great joy in dance and yoga. Abby found comfort in knitting and made wonderful friendships in her knitting circle. Her family and friends will cherish the many gifts she knitted for them.

Abby loved children. She enjoyed babysitting for many families in her teen years, and nannied for two families in her early twenties. She doted on her nieces and nephews, and countless photos show her beaming with love when holding the young children of friends. She was overjoyed when she became a mother herself, and everyone who knew and loved her knows that Abby’s most cherished role was as Ed’s life partner and Marina and Eve’s mom.

Abby is survived by her husband, Edward Overton; children Marina and Eve Overton; father Leon Rosenson, step-mother Suzanne Levin, sisters Sarah and Claire Rosenson; step-brothers Michael and Peter Levin; and many nieces, nephews, and in-laws.

She was predeceased by her mother, Mary Rosenson.

In lieu of flowers or food, please consider a donation to The American Cancer Society, https://www.cancer.org/, or The Orange County Rape Crisis Center, https://ocrcc.org/.