Frederick C. Cabot

1936 - 2016

Frederick C. Cabot of Weston, formerly of Newton, age 79, passed away at home on January 31, 2016 after a long illness. Beloved husband of Elizabeth (Kahlo) Cabot. Devoted father of Meg Cabot of West Newton and Katy Essington of East Greenwich, R.I. Loving grandfather of Nick, Elena, David, and Paul Rodriguez and Haley and Eric Essington. Cherished brother of Virginia Wood, Auburndale; Elizabeth Minot, Dover; the late Paul Cabot II, and the twin of the late Edmund Converse Cabot. Born in Needham, son of Paul C. and Virginia Converse Cabot, Fred graduated from the Charles River School, Milton Academy, and Harvard College, class of 1959, and received his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1966. He married Liz in 1964, and they moved to Middlebury VT where he taught English and American literature and writing at the College, then back in Boston, at Pine Manor College for 22 years, and after retirement, at Lasell Village for 10 years. Daughters Meg and Katy were raised in Newton. As an undergraduate he very much enjoyed rowing in the lightweight crew, and he coached that crew for several years, spending part of his honeymoon at Henley. Another great love was music, which led to his becoming a trustee and overseer of the Longy School of Music and the Boston Landmarks Orchestra. He sang in the choir at the Congregational Church of Weston and was a member of the Weston Library Music Committee. His life-long attachment to natural science and the environment found fulfillment in gardening, studying and predicting the weather, and membership in the CWRA stream team and the Weston Forest & Trail Association (of which he was also a trustee). He walked and cross-country skied on conservation trails and canoed and kayaked on the Charles River. At his vacation home in Starksboro VT, he found special pleasure in splitting wood and scything the meadow. He also enjoyed hiking mountains, biking, and playing tennis. Every summer he also spent time at a family compound on North Haven island, Maine, where he loved sailing and rowing, and picnicking with many nieces, nephews and cousins. He and Liz traveled extensively, including Papua New Guinea, Bhutan, New Zealand, the Galapagos and Machu Picchu, as well as Central America, Africa, and Europe. A memorial service will be held at the Congregational Church of Weston, 130 Newton Street, on Saturday, February 27, at 11 a.m. A gathering of family and friends will be held afterwards at Meg's. Contributions in his name would be welcomed to the Weston Forest & Trail Associatio