The son of the late George and Effie Hines Abernathy and the husband of the late Margaretta Scruggs Abernathy. A graduate of Spartanburg High School, he attended Wofford College and graduated from Spartanburg Methodist College and the University of South Carolina where he was a cheerleader. He later received a Masters in Business Administration degree from C&GS College, Fort Leavenworth, KS. In September 1992 he received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Voorhees College in Denmark, SC.

He was a veteran of World War II and a retired colonel with the U.S. Army Reserves. He served as Administrative Assistant to then Governor J. Strom Thurmond and was State Assistant to Senator Thurmond's office with 49 years of service. He was the former secretary-treasurer of the Strom Thurmond Foundation, a U.S. Marshall, a member of the Civil Service, and an honorary member of the SC Law Enforcement Division. In September 1997 a portion of Highway 29 from Blackstock Road at Westgate Mall to I-85 was renamed as the Warren H. Abernathy Highway by the SC Department of Transportation.

He was the recipient of the Order of the Palmetto on April 13, 1998 from Governor David Beasley. He was a member of Southside Baptist Church where he was a member of the Layman's Sunday School Class and a former deacon.

Children: Dr. Marcia Duncan and her husband Dale of Gaffney; and grandchildren, Colin Duncan and his wife Meredith of Columbia, Warren Duncan and Elizabeth Duncan, both of Gaffney, and Hayes Abernathy of Spartanburg. He was predeceased by a son, Warren H. "Wren" Abernathy, II.

US 1930 Census Info:
Name: Warren Abernathy
Event Place: Spartanburg, Spartanburg, South Carolina
Gender: Male
Age: 6
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Birthplace: South Carolina
Estimated Birth Year: 1924
Relationship to Head of Household: Son
Father's Birthplace: North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace: North Carolina
Parent: George Abernathy M 43
Parent: Effie Abernathy F 42
Ruby Abernathy F 18
Horace Abernathy M 16
Blanche Abernathy F 14
Joe Abernathy M 12
Mary Abernathy F 9
Warren Abernathy M 6
George Abernathy M 4
William Abernathy M 1
Betty Abernathy F 0