Jeanne Abbott

Jeanne Hester Hinchman Abbott Died Sunday, November 28, 2010 of natural causes, surrounded by her large family, at her Palo Alto home. She was a fun-loving, strong-willed woman who loved to tell stories and dance the Charleston. She had thousands of friends. Jeanne was born May 2, 1922 in Oakland, CA., and spent her childhood in San Jose, the only child of Ada Gabbs Hinchman and Charles Merton Hinchman, descendents of California pioneer families. Charles was an office equipment salesman; Ada was a homemaker and volunteer Episcopal church worker. Jeanne graduated with honors from San Jose High School in 1940, and in 1944 from Stanford University, where she was a member of the Gamma Phi sorority and majored in Political Science. She married her high school sweetheart, Richard Edson ("Dick") Abbott, in June, 1945. During World War II, Jeanne lived in San Francisco with her girlfriends and worked in the furs department at J. Magnin, while Dick served in the South Pacific as an Ensign with the U.S. Navy. After the War, Dick obtained a BS in Electrical Engineering from UC Berkeley, and pursued a career with General Electric in Schenectady and Detroit, before the young family returned to the Bay Area. In 1952, the Abbotts bought their first home in Menlo Park. In 1962, they moved to Palo Alto, where they raised their four children, and Dick founded Abbott Engineering, selling electronics components to the growing high-tech industries of Silicon Valley. Jeanne was a member of the Stanford Committee for Art and docent at the Stanford Museum. She was active in several civic and arts organizations, including the Palo Alto Garden Club, Woman's Club of Palo Alto, Contemporary Collectors Circle, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. She was an avid world traveler and tennis player. She and Dick were among the "Magnificent Seven" founders of the Foothills Tennis and Swimming Club. Jeanne was true to her school, her husband, her family, and her multitude of friends. Her laugh, her stories, her charm, and her love of people will not be forgotten. Jeanne was predeceased by her husband Dick, who died in 2003. She is survived by her four children--Carol Abbott Harris of San Francisco, Christine Abbott Stokes of Ashland, OR., Priscilla Abbott of Sacramento, and Richard Edson ("Hap") Abbott Jr. of Palo Alto, and by 10 grandchildren and a great-granddaughter. Memorial services, with reception to follow, will be held Friday, December 17, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. at All Saints Parish (Episcopal), corner of Waverley and Hamilton Streets, Palo Alto.