John T Abbott Obituary (1946 - 2015)

JOHN T. ABBOTT passed away on April 19, 2015, just a few weeks after being diagnosed with cancer. John was a native of Lithonia, Georgia, and was a resident of Big Canoe, Georgia at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife Gay O'Neal Abbott, his father John Hubert Abbott, his daughter Keely Woodall and her husband Woody, his daughter Polly Thatcher, and his grandchildren Pete Woodall, Kendall Woodall, Luke Thatcher and Lainey Thatcher. He was preceded in death by his mother Earlene and his brother Paul. John is also survived by a large and loving extended family. John was a graduate of Lithonia High School and the University of Georgia, where he earned degrees in Marketing and Finance. Upon his graduation from college in 1968, he entered the United States Army in which he served until he was honorably discharged with the rank of First Lieutenant in 1970. During much of his time in the Army, John was a general staff officer, Eighth Army, Seoul, Korea. Upon leaving the service he began a successful career in banking with what is now SunTrust Bank. His specialty was commercial lending and he enjoyed the close relationships he built with clients. He spent 31 years with SunTrust and retired in 2001 as a Group Vice President. John loved music and he loved to read, especially about history. John was an expert on the history of DeKalb County and the Civil War. John also loved sports as both a spectator and a participant. A high school athlete, in his adult years he concentrated on hunting, fishing, camping and his beloved Georgia Bulldogs. John always considered himself fortunate that despite the vagaries of careers and relocations, he was able to develop new friendships as he maintained close friendships with people he grew up with in Lithonia. Many of his happiest hours in recent years were spent retelling stories with and about those friends over a glass of wine and a fine cigar. Beyond all of his other interests, he reveled most in the joys of time spent with his wife, his children and their families and his precious Golden Retrievers. The family will receive visitors at Henry Funeral Home in Lithonia on Wednesday, April 22 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 23 at First Baptist Church of Lithonia. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in his memory to Big Canoe Animal Rescue (www.bigcanoeanimalrescue.org) or Wounded Warrior Project (www.woundedwarriorproject.org).