Reginald Hervey Abbott, 88, of Lancaster, died peacefully at the Veteran's Administration Medical Center in White River Junction, VT on Saturday, January 17, 2015.
Reg
was born in Troy, NH on January 23, 1926 the son of Hervey Abbott and Corinne Marotte. He had been a resident of Lancaster most of his life.
Reg was a proud U.S. Navy veteran of World War II. He served as a motor machinist's mate on several small warships and saw action in the Pacific theater.
After a brief post-war stay at Plymouth State College and then Oklahoma to finish an education interrupted by war, he and wife Alice (Cryan) settled in Lancaster to raise a family. Reg spent most of his working years at P.J. Noyes Company in Lancaster. But as a hardworking New Englander and devoted family man he was up well before dawn on most days to handle several part-time jobs in Lancaster over the years including
various duties at
the Weeks Memorial Library, the
Democrat
offices, and the Siwooganock Bank. In his spare time he ran "Abbott's Clock Shop" out of his home.
After "retiring" he enjoyed working at the Walmart in Littleton in the garden shop and later as a greeter. Reg also did some volunteer work for Meals on Wheels during the last years of his life.
Reg took great joy in spending time outdoors. He was an accomplished skier and better than average tennis player as many local players can attest. In his later years he particularly liked hiking Mt. Prospect in Lancaster and riding his bike for miles near town and in Vermont after crossing the Connecticut River.
Reginald is survived by a son, Stephen Abbott
,
of Alexandria, Virginia; a daughter, Penny Durgin
,
of Lancaster; five grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
In addition to his parents, Reginald was predeceased by his wife of more than 50 years, Alice, who died in 2006; and two sons, Terry Michael (U.S. Marine killed in Vietnam, 1968), and Tracey Lee who died in 2011.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation,
www.vvmf.org
or the Meals on Wheels Association of America,
www.mowaa.org
.
A graveside service for Reginald and Alice will be held Thursday afternoon July 9, at 4:00 PM in Calvary Cemetery in Lancaster. Military honors will also be conducted in Mr. Abbot's memory.