Charla Cribb

It is with great sadness that we say farewell, in this incarnation, to Chara Ellen Cribb.  Charla passed away peacefully at the age of 74, in Gainesville, Georgia, on January 6, 2023.  Having battled serious medical issues over the last several years, this transition releases her brilliant spirit, but does not dim the gift of light she has shared. The legacy she leaves is a world made more colorful for having touched it.  

Born in the California Bay Area, to Mary Lou Forester and Calvin C. Horman, Charla began her life journey immersed in the rich tapestry of the west coast.  A flower child, a proud hippy, a surfer, and a lover of the diversity of life she grew into a young woman ready to paint the canvas of a remarkable life.  Relocating to her long-time home of Florida in the late 1960s, Charla became an integral thread in the fabric of Florida, and specifically St.Petersburg, serving to help quilt its unique character.  

A prolific and talented writer, Charla began a career with the St. Petersburg Evening Independent beginning in the late 1970s. Working her way from stringer to an award-winning feature writer, she made an impression on the city she loved and made some lifelong friends along the way. She continued work as a journalist with the St. Petersburg Times for several years after the final issue of the Independent.  When it was time to turn a new page, Charla joined Goodwill Industries and then Freedom Scientific where she used her talents in marketing and public relations, again proving to be nothing but prodigious, winning countless national awards for her publications over her many years with these agencies.  From here, taking a leap of faith, from a blank canvas she started her own graphic design and marketing business, Visual Panache, and began creating stunning works of art that have been shared at art shows, galleries, and as Ginger Snaps Studios.   

A true renaissance woman, her creativity and passion for the community were not bound to work.  A self-taught musician – Family at the Beaux Arts and a founding member of the Florida Folk Music Association, she spent weekends and holidays writing and performing songs in the folk community. An advocate for pride in your heritage, she served as a board member with SPIFFS for many years and founded the American Indian Cultural Society of St. Petersburg.  As her two children grew, she also found time to teach Sunday school, lead PTAs, and host girl and boy scout troops.  Most recently she dedicated herself to the Historic Kenwood Neighborhood Association where she is known as “Nanny Kenwood”.  As part of the community for nearly 40 years, she took pride in preserving the history of the neighborhood and in nurturing its residents.  Her involvement helped to grow and promote the Bungalow Fest, establish Kenwood Kids, and bring together the Art Enclave of Historic Kenwood. When she was finally ready to slow down and admire the masterpiece that was her life, Charla moved to North Georgia to spend the winter of her life in the woods.   

The life Charla lived was an inspiration to all who met her.  Not satisfied with the status quo, she reinvented herself time and time again with panache.  Flower child, musical beatnik, activists, writer, artist, animal lover, quirky dresser, mother, and grandmother - She was a force to be reckoned with and had a survivor's spirit.  Through it all she was a devoted mother and grandmother whose love was undeniable.   

Her shining presence will be deeply missed by the family she leaves behind; Daughter, Krissandra Wasel; Son, William Wasel; Grandchildren, Noel, Praznel, and Phoenix; Sister, Pam Kovaks; Brother, Michael Horman; as well as her many nieces, nephews and dear friends.  

Charla will be honored in Georigia with a Celebration of Life Supper beginning at 3:30 on January 15, 2023; Hacienda Bar and Grill - Dawsonville, GA;  and in St.Petersburg for a celebration of life on February 19, 2023 beginning at 2:30pm in Historic Kenwood's Seminole Park (2900 3rd Ave N St.Petersbrug, FL).  Charla's cremains will be interred at Sunnyside Cemetery in St.Petersburg. FL. 

In lieu of flowers, if you would like to honor Charla with a donation, the family suggests donating to  Historic Kenwood Kids at www.historickenwood.org.  Use the "DONATE" button on the website and make a note that the donation is "In honor of Charla Cribb for Kenwood Kids".