October 17, 2011

It is with great sadness that I must inform you that our father, Gale Abbott, passed away peacefully October 17th at the Hadlow Hospice Center in Jacksonville, FL. Mom and sister Nancy were with him at the time of death.

On June 28 was moved to the Hospice at Mayo Clinic and informed that he had 10 days to two weeks to live. After nearly a month at that hospice center, he was sent home for home hospice care on July 27. He remained at home until last Monday when he was taken to Hadlow Center. He fought valiantly, but kidney failure took its toll. We were blessed to have dad with us for nearly four months after the initial diagnosis, and during that time were able to celebrate his 94th birthday. He passed away this morning just one week short of his and mom's 69th wedding anniversary.

My mom can be reached by mail at:
Gail Abbott
2245 Brentwood Rd. W
Jacksonville, FL 32225

No services are planned at this time.

Bob, Bill, and Nancy Abbott

Obituary: Read Online

Gale R. Abbott, 94, passes away October 17, 2011 in Jacksonville, FL. Mr. Abbott is survived by his loving wife Gail, sons Bob (Belinda) and Bill (Claudia) Abbott; daughter Nancy, 9 Grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren. Memorial Service will be held 11 AM Saturday, October 22, 2011at Highlands Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville, FL. Arrangements under the direction of National Cremation & Burial Society, Jacksonville, FL. 904-346-3331. Condolences may be made at www.mem.com.

In 2009 here’s what Gale said about C123: “The few months with C123 were my favorite tour of duty, with such a great bunch of guys.” In 1945 when the Marine division headed home, he did not have enough points to go along, and was sent to Okinawa. There, nary a building remained upright; it was a wasteland. Today, he reports, it is a thriving metropolis. After a year he too came home and was discharged in 1946. He then managed his father’s business with his father. But he missed the Corps, so with help from the best man at his wedding, a Sgt Major at Quantico, he reenlisted and designated supply as his career choice. That is how he began his 30 years of service in the Corps. He served in several capacities at several duty stations – as a recruiter and as 1st Sgt of an infantry company. He had several tours overseas, Korea and Vietnam, and in the US. He retired at the rank of Sgt Major at Camp LeJeune in 1970. He and his wife, Gail, have been married nearly 50 years and have traveled extensively throughout the USA, except for AK and RI, and Canada, except for Nova Scotia.

Gail and Gale Abbott October 2010