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Obituary for Jack N. Abbott
Jack N. Abbott, 86, of Gold Beach, Ore., passed away in Gold Beach on July 6, 2015. Jack was born March 21, 1929 in Bakersfield, California to his loving parents Emma and Otto Abbott. He grew up on a Standard Oil Lease near Taft, California. As a youngster he went fishing and hunting with his dad, enjoyed having rubber gun fights, sailing gliders off the top of oil derricks, playing softball, being marble champ and playing a trumpet solo at his eighth grade graduation. Jack went on to Taft Union High School where he played baseball and was co-captain on the football team. He then attended Taft Junior College preparing himself to go on to college, and while there, played football for two years (1946-1947) with returning war veterans. The team voted him “Most Valuable Player” in 1947 followed by an athletic scholarship offered to him by San Jose State University. He graduated in 1951 receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration. He then married his high school sweetheart, Marlene Kabrich of Taft, California and together they raised three fine sons. In 1952 he began his career under the employ of Standard Oil, now Chevron (second generation) in their marketing department as an area salesman. Nineteen years later, after six promotions and moving his family to different states, he was then promoted in 1970 to division wholesale manager in San Jose. One of his favorite assignments during his career with Standard Oil was when he flew by airline, floatplane and bush pilot to every location in Washington and Alaska where jet fuel facilities would be required and then he was instrumental in coordinating the installations. He attended the celebration in 1967 when the first commercial Boeing 737 landed at Fairbanks, Alaska. Later Jack received an award from the airlines for traveling 100,000 miles. In 1972, when an opportunity arose at San Jose, he took early retirement from Chevron and became founder and president of J.N. Abbott Distr., Inc. – a petroleum jobber. His company had seventeen employees that sold and delivered one million gallons of refined Chevron products each month to agricultural, commercial and industrial customers. In 1988 Jack sold the company to his sons allowing him to retire early again. The business is still operating successfully after 43 years. During his career with Chevron and his own company, he was a leader in the Junior Achievement Program, Boy Scout Commissioner, United Fund Executive, Chaired Junior Golf in Northern California sponsored Nation Wide by Pepsi, Officer in Toastmasters, State Director in the Fresno Jaycee’s Receiving the Annual Keyman Award, a founder in the San Jose National Bank and president of the Western Oil Marketers Association. He also served five years in the Army Reserves. Jack chose to move to Gold Beach, Oregon, because it was a small town with friendly people, beautiful trees, close to the ocean and being able to go fishing on one of the greatest rivers in our country. He located up the Rogue River with his property overlooking the river. In retirement he kept busy by traveling, training Labrador retrievers, fishing and bird hunting in all five western states plus South Dakota, British Columbia and Alaska. He landed a 76 and 72 pound king salmon on the Kenai River in Alaska. His largest on the Rogue River was 45 pounds. On his property he had a vegetable and rose garden, small fruit tree orchard and a trout pond in which he let youngsters fish. One of his greatest pleasures was delivering bouquets of tea roses to the hospital, welcome center, businesses, friends and entering them in the local county fair. Jack and Marlene supported their church, Curry Health Foundation, fire department, animal shelter, Indian Creek Fish Hatchery and others. He will be missed by his loved ones and friends. Be assured his fishing buddies will remember his phrase after fighting a king salmon longer than usual, “This guy has big shoulders”. Jack leaves his wife, Marlene of over sixty years, their three sons, Larry, his wife Linda, granddaughters Nicole and Stephanie and great granddaughters Isabella, Sophia and Emma, son Daryl, grandson Jack and great grandson Jackson, son Dennis, his wife Deena and grandsons Eric, Tim and Kevin. In lieu of flowers, please consider contributions to the Curry Anadromous Fisherman, PO Box 903, Gold Beach, OR 97444. Funeral services will be held at 10:00am on Saturday, July 18, 2015 at Bethany Lutheran Church, 94190 5th St. in Gold Beach. Pastor Tim Brueckner will officiate. Interment will precede the service at 9:00am at Rogue River Cemetery in Gold Beach where Jack will be laid to rest at his Peace Ridge graveside. All of his friends are invited. Redwood Memorial Chapel is assisting the family. Condolences may be expressed online at www.redwoodmemorial.net.