William Jackson “Bill” Abbott, 60, of Tifton passed away Sunday, July 3, 2016 at Tift Regional Medical Center. His funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, July 7, 016, in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals with the Rev. Kelly Anderson officiating. Mr. Abbott will be laid to rest at Tift Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends Wednesday, July 6, 2016, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals.
Cliff Heath, Dylan Webb, Nick Loper, Johnny Boyd, Travis Walker and Joshua Walker will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Frank Dominguez, Pedro Gomez and Cody Abbott.
Born April 5, 1956 in Homerville (Clinch County), Mr. Abbott was the son of the late
Rev. Robert Henry Abbott, Sr. and Frances Lieupo Abbott and Lilian Harnage Ray of Tifton and the late Archie Matthew Webb. He was also preceded in death by his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Rev. Daulton Blanchard and Ruthie May Revels Blanchard; a brother, John Gaston Abbott; and a sister, Frances Romelle Baldree. After high school, he continued his education in the Army National Guard, where he graduated in 1974 as a tank mechanic and received an Honorable Discharge on September 14, 1977. He retired from Banner Grain and was a truck driver of over 40 years of driving semis and loved the open road. He was a very hard worker and a member of Midway Church of God in Ocilla. He had lived in Tifton most of his life.
Mr. Abbott is survived by his wife of almost 34 years, Susan Blanchard Abbott of Tifton; two sons and daughters-in-law, William Cody and Tiffany Abbott of Brookfield and Garren and Alma Webb of Ocilla; two daughters and sons-in-law, Belinda and Frank Dominguez and Grace and Pedro Gomez, all of Tifton; six brothers and five sisters-in-law, Robert Henry “Bobby” and Gloria Abbott of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Jack and Joyce Abbott; Gary and Ann Webb, Vince Stracke and Leon Wilcox, all of Tifton and Matthew and Gail Webb of Alapaha; three sisters, Wanda Etheridge of Wisconsin and Candy Pate and Ruth Fox, both of Alapaha; a sister-in-law, Jackie Abbott of Tifton; 18 grandchildren; four brothers-in-law and three sisters-in-law, Bobby D. and Elaine Blanchard, Tony E. and Diane Blanchard and Marvin Blanchard, all of Ocilla and Jimmy Lee and Bobbie Blanchard of Sparks.