Individual Details

Death

ABBOTT, ESTHER (GOSS) 93 - was feisty, joyful, spry, & independent her entire life. Degenerative blindness didn't limit her; Esther faithfully strolled her neighborhoods daily, whether in Jacksonville, FL or Ocean City, New Jersey, depending on the season. Sweet, sunny, and generous, Esther opened her home and heart to many friends over the years. Even strangers were compelled to ask, "Have you always been this adorable?" A delightful audience for her grandchildren's stories, she always listened closely and served as a trustworthy confidant. Sharp and observant, Esther often shared stories of her own: she grew up on the family farm in Pennsylvania during the Great Depression, served as a U.S. Coast Guard SPAR during WW2 in Philadelphia, and married the love of her life, the late Francis L. Abbott, with whom she founded and ran a sailboat business in Ocean City for over 60 years. Her daughters, Kay (Jack) and Carol (Kem), and her grandchildren, James (Amanda), Jenny, Stuart, and Kelby will heed the motto Esther embodied: "Enjoy your life - and love, for it's one of the most wonderful feelings." A memorial service will be announced later. Memorial contributions can be made to Shriners Children's Hospital, 3551 N. Broad, Phila, PA 19140 or to Ocean City Sailing Foundation, PO Box 492, OC, NJ 08226. Arrangements by George H. Wimberg Funeral Home.

Published in The Press of Atlantic City on Oct. 26, 2013